Our support for Construction News’ Inspire Me campaign, isn’t just a signature on a piece of paper. We are actively encouraging greater diversity in the industry.
Our aim is well illustrated on site at Cramlington in the North East, where we are building new office and warehouse facilities for PII Pipeline Solutions. Both our Project Manager and Assistant Site Manager are women. Our groundworks and civil engineering sub-contractor, Rainton Construction, is also following our lead – one of their groundworkers and their trainee Site Engineer are also women.
Four women on site, on the operational side of the project, hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Considerate Constructors Scheme. After a recent visit by one of their monitors, the CCS is now planning a case study – specifically around the women, how they got into construction and how they believe the industry could encourage greater diversity.
Our Project Manager, Liz Wilson, said: “It’s so important for us to show young women how interesting and varied construction can be. The cameraderie between us has been great on this site and I think women bring a different outlook and way of thinking to a project.”
Liz heads a team which includes Assistant Site Manager, Charlotte Richardson, who joined B&K three years ago after achieving a First Class Honours Degree in Property Development and Architectural Design.
Rainton Construction’s Maureen Nelson, is currently working for them as a groundworker. During her career in the industry, Maureen has also been a bricklayer and tower crane driver; her colleague, eighteen-year-old trainee Site Engineer, Ashleigh Dunning, is studying for a Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment.
Caption: (From left) Maureen, Liz, Ashleigh and Charlotte on our site at Cramlington.