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Women in construction: building a career in a challenging environment

This article is more than 5 years old

Guardian photographer Alicia Canter photographs 12 women working in the UK construction industry and talks to them about their experiences

Dimitra Koutsi, 32

Construction engineer at Tideway

I have been working in construction for four years and I started as a graduate engineer in 2014. I began working on site in 2016 as a construction engineer with Tideway.

I graduated in mineral engineering in Greece in 2010 but I was always fascinated by how materials are used and converted into buildings and other infrastructure projects, which can change peoples’ lives.

My dad is an engineer, I used to go to work with him and was surrounded by engineers and architects from a young age. I looked up to him a lot. I think my mum thought working on site would be quite challenging for me, but she knows it makes me happy.

The industry has changed quite a lot for women and there are a lot more women on site now than there used to be. The culture has also changed, even the PPE (protective clothing) we wear has been tailored to fit women, with higher waisted trousers and the tops fit better.

There has been a effort from different sources; there’s more awareness in schools than there used to be. As a Stem ambassador, I go to schools and talk about engineering. We have a lot of young people visiting so they can see the reality and we have many women on site (and it helps to encourage young women to get into the industry).

Working in construction makes you feel very valuable in a society. You’re working in a job that you know can change people’s quality of life. You feel proud doing this job.

Silvia Fiorini, senior environmental advisor, at Tideway central site office, Cringle Street, London

Silvia Fiorini, 34

Senior environmental and sustainability advisor

I’m from Fiuggi, a little town close to Rome. My background is in environmental engineering and I started my career six years ago on Crossrail as an environmental team assistant where, at the beginning, I was the only woman in the team.

I think there is probably still a lack of women in construction in site-specific roles such as electricians or machine operators but things are improving. Six out of eight members of the environmental team are women and, in the site construction team, the project manager and site project engineer are both female.

My family and friends were all enthusiastic to know that I’m working in construction and thought I was perfect for this job as I’m really determined and I feel really comfortable in this industry.

I truly believe that there is no difference between females and males in terms of skills and added values they bring to a project. It’s just a matter of encouraging women to start this kind of career.

I’m mentoring young environmental advisers by helping them to gather more site experience and guiding them to improve their knowledge of environmental issues on site. Through this mentoring, I am able to support and encourage confidence within young women in the hope that they will do the same for others as they progress in their careers to encourage further diversity within our industry.

I’m really happy about my role in construction and I love my job. Every day is different, it’s dynamic, challenging and really motivates me. It keeps me driven and curious to know and learn more.

There are several aspects of my role that I love but the best part is the satisfaction from building relationships and the sense of achievement at the end of day.

Concepcion Vicente, site project manager

Concepcion Vicente, 39

Project manager

Just being a woman at management level in construction is a major challenge in itself, and a positive impact on the industry. The UK has the lowest percentage of female engineering professionals in Europe. Only 11% of the engineering workforce is female and only 5% of registered engineers and technicians are women. I am part of that low percentage and feel really proud to add value in this way.

I am the only woman contractor project manager dealing with a CSO site within not just the Tideway Central section project (one out of eight CSO sites) but within the whole Tideway project.

Within that low percentage, I also add something very important and needed which is diversity. I’m a professional born in a different country and with vast experience. This cross-cultural mix and the exchange of experiences, lessons learnt, methodologies, procedures, subcontractors, systems, even mindsets, are powerful tools that help us to improve and continuously develop to the benefit of ourselves and our industry, and move towards better results and goals for instance.

It doesn’t matter if you are a woman or a man, you have to love what you do in order to deliver the best. I am proud to say that I love my career and my job. Because of this, and the passion I feel about the industry, I’m a champion for this profession. My colleagues and friends see me as an example and a pioneer after what happened to most of us during the “credit crunch”. I worked extremely hard throughout these years to carry on with my development.

Stela De Sena, civil engineer at Crossrail Tottenham Court Road, London.

Stela De Sena, 43

Civil engineer

I’m originally from Portugal and a qualified civil engineer, working on the Crossrail project.

I always wanted to do engineering. It was very difficult to get a job when I graduated from Salford University in 2007. My first job was as a labourer, I worked on site for three months. I’ve definitely experienced sexism in my job. When I was at university there were about 60 students in my class but only four were women.

My goal is to be a construction manager. I don’t think the industry is ready to see more women in this role.

My sister is an architect. When I was young, we always said: “I want to build houses”. I like to create things. You see the building going up and staying as part of history. Every time I go to the Olympic Park now, it reminds me that I was involved in the project.

Shelin Mcintosh, environmental health and safety advisor

Shelin Mcintosh, 39

Environmental monitoring engineer

I moved back to London to work because I wanted to see women that looked like me actually reach senior management positions within a company. I didn’t see that happening where I previously worked in Staffordshire. I found it more male dominated for an everyday working environment.

I started in the construction industry in 1998 when I did a technical modern apprenticeship in engineering alongside a higher national certificate in mechanical engineering.

I have found when competing against male counterparts for job opportunities, nine times out of 10 it’s more likely such job opportunities went directly to the male candidate.

Since being back in London, and being a part of Women into Construction, the number of women I have come into contact with who are in senior management positions within the industry has been very positive to see.

Ruth Aguilar, site environmental advisor at Tideway’s Barn Elms Sports centre site in south London.

Ruth Aguilar, 31

Site environmentaladviser, who is five months pregnant

I’ve been working in construction since September 2015. I’m from Mexico but came to London in 2012 to study for a masters in global environmental change at Kings College London.

I hadn’t planned to work on construction sites. I’d worked in the food industry for three years so I thought I’d be working in food manufacturing. It’s been a learning process for me.

My dad taught me and my two sisters a lot when he built our house. We helped him with the painting, levelling the walls, putting the bathroom in.

I’m an internal auditor so I get to see all of the Tideway sites. You can see that some sites have more women than others, some are 50/50, it’s really nice to see. At some they have more men. But I think access for women to go for jobs in construction is growing.

I try to go into schools and colleges at least every term. We do Stem volunteering with Tideway, showing young people the kind of jobs that are on offer in the industry. If they are interested in engineering, we show them that there’s a place for them. It’s not just building, there’s the environment side, the design side, learning to manage people. There are a lot of people behind a building.

My employer is excited that I’m pregnant. It’s been very favourable and taken in a positive way.

One of the things I enjoy the most about this industry is working with people from all over the world. In London, you can find people from places you didn’t even know existed. Having that mix of cultures, I just love it.

The UK has construction companies with a very good reputation, working with them will open doors for you anywhere in the world.

Crane operator

I’ve been a crane operator for four years. I fell into it after working in recruitment. I never knew that women worked in the industry. I think everyone has a preconception about construction, when I was a recruitment consultant I did, too. A friend on Facebook messaged me saying his seven-year old daughter wants to be an engineer like me because she saw photos of me in front of a TBM (tunnel boring machine) on Crossrail. That was great.

My first day on site was tough. I do think it’s getting easier for women but it’s intimidating because there aren’t a lot of women who operate machinery; you don’t see them on site, people stare a lot. It can be quite hard to take. It will get better. It is changing, but it is tough.

The best things about working on site is that the environment changes and progresses so much. I like saying I built Tottenham Court Road station, you do say that! You say I built it, just me in a crane! Everyone does it. My dad, who was a bricklayer, used to do it. We’d get the train into Victoria and he’d say, you see that one over there, I built that. Now I can say I built something that will outlive me. That’s what I like about it, leaving a bit of a legacy around London.

When I told my family I was going to quit recruitment and train to be a crane operator everyone asked me if I was sure, my mum, my dad, my boyfriend at the time told me it was a dirty job, full of men, it was hard work and long hours. I think people tried to dissuade me a little bit. I think I thought I’d prove them all wrong and just do it anyway. Everyone was really supportive in the end.

I see more women coming on to site now than when I started four years ago. I think it will take a long time to change dramatically, but companies are more aware of the need for diversity. We need more active female role models, to talk to schools, educate parents, teachers, students. Apprenticeships are important, a lot of young people are pushed down the university route and it doesn’t work for everyone. It is changing but it will take a long time.

I got really attached to my first crane. You’re living in it for 11 or 12 hours a day. You keep it clean, you know where everything is, it becomes your living space. I’ve seen people cutting out carpets for theirs, leaving their shoes outside. My first crane was a little 60 tonner, it was a LCR 1060, they’re lovely cranes, really really nice. It felt like it was mine!

Noorganah Robertson (Nogs), a trainee electrician at the Sutton Point development in south London.

Noorganah Robertson, 34

Trainee electrician

I have a degree in film but went back to college in 2010 to learn to be an electrician. It was mostly men on the course, just me and one other woman in a class of 20. When I graduated it was difficult to get a job, it took about two years from the time I finished college.

I thought working on a building site was rough and tough and full of lots of guys, and I didn’t think I could handle that. I’m generally more academic and into the arts. I’m also quite sensitive. When I had my induction for my first job on site I thought I’d made a mistake. It was pretty intimidating at first but there’s a good culture of teaching on building sites. If you’re interested in learning, people will show you what they’re doing and help and support you.

My family were pleased that I was doing something practical. My dad used to be a jeweller, my uncle is a carpenter, he did all the electrics in every building he’s ever owned. We’re quite a practical family.

It’s not just about hiring more women, you have to create an environment where people can grow. If you do that, it’s naturally going to draw more women to it.

If the industry changes some of its ideology and philosophy at a fundamental level, women will more naturally be drawn to construction because they are more likely to feel safe, supported and valued. Women (or anybody regardless of gender) are not going to voluntarily go into an environment where they don’t feel safe or are made to feel vulnerable. What is often misunderstood, usually by male workers in construction companies where women work on site, is that the base level of feeling comfortable is at different levels for men and women. Once these issues are more widely understood, the industry will naturally become more balanced gender-wise.

Leah Blackwell, 32, painter and decorator at a BAM Nuttall site.

Leah Blackwell, 32

Painter and decorator

I’ve been working in constructionfor five years. I was 24 when I changed careers, I was stuck in retail, hated it, so I took the plunge. At first I didn’t want to go into construction because I thought it was a man’s world. I thought it’s not for women. My mum kept banging on to me, get a trade, get a trade, you’ll never be out of a job. I put myself through evening courses at college whilst still in full-time employment in retail.

Just because we’re females it doesn’t mean there’s an end to how far you go up the career ladder. It’s entirely down to you, the individual. If you see yourself in a certain place in 10 years’ time, strive for it and go for it, just keep fighting. Guys will do the same thing, so do we. In terms of what sex you are, it doesn’t determine how far you should go up the ladder or where you should stop in your career. Last year, I decided I wanted to move up. I wanted to get off the tools and change to health and safety. You get responsibility, you’re looking after everyone on site.

My family is construction based; when I told them I was going to get into it I didn’t actually get any negativity. My friends were great. I haven’t received any negativity, everything was positive.

In the past five years, more girls are coming through. I’ve been on jobs where you have female sparkies, electricians, plumbers. It’s not just trades, young people, school leavers, they’re put off by construction because they see it as a dirty job. We need more information out there; you don’t necessarily have to go into construction and be a tradesman. You don’t need to be a sparky, a chippy or a plumber, there’s health and safety and then there’s management. There are so many different aspects. Best move I’ve done that’s for sure.

There are a lot more women coming into the industry now. Every job I go on now I’m bound to see at least three females on the tools. Painters, electricians, chippies. It’s really good to see.

I think more women are coming through now because there’s more information out there. We talk to school leavers about construction, there’s job centres, even job fairs at the Excel. It’s trying to reach out to females of all ages and say: look, this is where I started, this is where I am now, and don’t be intimidated, it’s not a man’s world it’s changing, it is changing so fast, and it’s really good to see.

Working on construction sites gives a sense of freedom; you’re constantly doing something different and moving round. It’s the people I work with, too, we just have a laugh. They never overstep the line. There’s that level or respect. It’s quite nice.

There’s never a dull moment; you have a lot of laughs on a construction site. If you like your freedom, doing different things, if you like a challenge, construction is for you.

If I had a group of young people sitting in front of me right now I’d say get into construction and change the world. The more females we have working in construction shows society that women can do it, too. If men can lift it, so can we. We can pick up a hammer, pick up a drill.

Claire Kilrane, section engineer at Tideway’s Heath Wall pumping station site.

Claire Kilrane, 28

Section engineer at Tideway

I’ve been working in construction for four-and-a-half years, two years with Tideway. Before that I was on Crossrail, it was my first job in construction.

There’s been slight changes in terms of being a women in the industry, there’s fitted PPE (protection clothing) for women and female toilets.

I don’t think my friends and family were surprised that I was working on site, people were positive. My mum though I’d be well suited to it.

Construction is so diverse, there’s something for everyone. If you like to be outside, you can do that; if you like planning or doing anything software related you can work in digital engineering; if you’re into innovating, there’s a lot of focus on that as well.

I don’t find that it’s an issue if you’re the only woman on site; the culture’s changed.

Michelle Umagho-Ukueku, health and safety advisor.

Michelle Umagho-Ukueku

Health and safety adviser

I’ve been working in construction for over 10 years always as a health and safety adviser.

I love working with the lads on site. Construction is so varied, there are different people from all walks of life, different cultures. It’s a fantastic place to be. We have our banter, I love it. I give as good as I get if not worse. I couldn’t see myself working anywhere else. I have administrative duties but I’d rather be out on site.

People would say construction is a man’s world, far from it. You’ve got loads of females from different walks of life, different jobs. I think it’s how you take it, how you get on with it. I’m at home when I’m on site with the boys. The key is communication. Treat people how you want to be treated, speak to people how you want to be spoken to. There’s not a them and us. We’re all equal. I would call my colleagues my family.

Women are strong, the right women with the right attitude, skills, knowledge, or she can learn it on the go.

There’s definitely more women on site than there were 10 years ago. More female trainee site managers, we didn’t have that when I first started. I’ve got female bosses in my job. It’s inspiring to see them. You think about your own path, where you want to go.

Camilla Bernal, senior environmental manager.

Camilla Bernal, 38

Senior environmental manager who is five months pregnant

I moved to the UK 10 years ago from Colombia. When I started, I was the only Colombian in my project and there were very few women. It was a big challenge; there were still stigmas around working on construction sites. Women are as capable as men. People think that construction is dirty, male dominated and dangerous, but it’s not like that. The perception needs to change and I believe that we, as women, have a responsibility to do that.

I am a proof that women can succeed in construction. I was nominated for an award called 100 Colombians to recognise talent of Colombians living abroad. I returned to Colombia for a ceremony with the president in 2014. It was fantastic. It gave me the opportunity to show other Colombians that if you are really passionate about what you do, if you are persistent, you can achieve anything.

When I started in this industry, I saw myself as the weakest link: I’m a woman, English is my second language, I’m a biologist and I work in environment. Then I realised that all of those things were my strengths. You need to be out of your comfort zone to achieve things.

There are more women working on construction projects now than there were 10 years ago. It’s great. We can bring so much to a project.

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