04 February 2020
In 2018, it was reported that women only represent 12.8% of employees in the construction workforce. This is a vast change to the numbers 30 years ago, but there is still a way to go in turning this around.
An apprentice who is challenging these statistics is Lauren, a brickwork apprentice. Despite only being 20 years old, Lauren has been working in the industry for four years. After leaving school at the age of 16, she knew full time education wasn’t the pathway for her. She explained: “My step dad was in construction, and so my love for it started there.
“When I was a lot younger I used to go out in the garden and help him lay the decking and do odd jobs like that. From there on, I really enjoyed it! I guess, I always knew that it was something that I wanted to pursue.”
For female apprentices like Lauren, times are changing. Often a misconception of the construction industry is that it’s a male dominated world consumed by ‘lad culture’. Thankfully, Lauren’s journey with CARA Brickwork has proven this idea wrong. Lauren admitted: “In the past I have had people say ‘oh you can’t do that’ or ‘you shouldn’t be here’, but I always prove them wrong.
“Thankfully nothing like that has ever happened here. Everyone has been incredibly supportive and I think I’ve given the boys a run for their money.”
At CARA Brickwork Lauren works in a team among other apprentices and former apprentices. She explained: “I work in a team with three other guys who used to be apprentices. It’s great learning from them and they really understand me and the way I learn. I think it’s so important being in a team where everyone supports each other. It means that the job gets done quickly and to a good standard.”
The future for Lauren and other female apprentices is bright. With more and more women entering the industry, there is bound to be change. Speaking about her future goals, Lauren said: “In the future I want to be self-employed. So, I want to work myself up and then create my own business.”
If you’d like to follow in the footsteps of Lauren and start an apprenticeship, then contact the Apprenticeships at Salford City College team on:
0161 631 5555
apprenticeships@salfordcc.ac.uk