LEADING THE WAY FOR FUTURE FEMALE YOUNG CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS

Having had a keen interest in sustainability from a young age and a determination to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps in construction, Whitecode Consulting’s Sustainability Consultant, Amy Webb, wants to drive change in the built environment. Not only when it comes to sustainability and the use of materials but also the expanding of opportunities for young female professionals.

So, with International Women in Engineering Day taking place on Monday 23^rd June, Amy revealed her love for all things construction, detailed her journey through Whitecode Consulting’s degree trainee programme, underlined the importance of giving young people an insight into what it’s like to work in this fascinating sector, and revealed her hopes for better representation in the future.

She said: “My grandfather was a real inspiration to me. Understanding the construction industry from an early age gave me the knowledge needed to help me decide what I wanted to do.

“I’ve always been interested in sustainability and knew fairly early on that I wanted to start a career in the construction industry to help further understanding on the use of sustainable materials.

“I decided to apply for the degree trainee programme at Whitecode Consulting because I was very aware of the reputation of the business and wanted to get a job rather than go to university.”

Amy completed Whitecode’s degree trainee scheme, with a First-Class Honours, in February 2023. Highlighting the importance of young people joining such schemes, Amy said: “In my opinion, this is the best way of entering the industry. It really equips you with the knowledge and skills you need while offering you crucial on-site experience.

“A lot of effort is put into the degree trainee scheme here. While it’s a lot of hard work, it’s definitely worth it and it’s so rewarding to see all your hard work pay off. The team is really supportive too, and gave me so much advice on how to overcome the various challenges of working in this industry.”

While the number of female professionals in the industry was fairly low when Amy entered the built environment seven years ago, Amy revealed she was fortunate to have a female role model during her time in the degree trainee programme. She explained: “One of the biggest challenges I faced when I first entered the industry was confidence. However, everybody at Whitecode was really supportive and I also had a female trainer – who was a fantastic role model for me.

“There weren’t many women in the industry when I began. But there has been a nice progression and the number of female professionals has been on the rise in recent years. Despite that, it’s still imperative that there is a greater female presence in the industry. One of the best ways of ensuring that is by encouraging more young women to start construction careers.”

Thankfully, progress is being made in this regard. In fact, Amy recently visited a careers fair at an all-girls school in Northfleet, Kent, and was thrilled to see such strong interest in the construction industry from many of those in attendance.

She said: “Many of the students were really interested in what we had to say about available career opportunities in the construction industry. The school had also pushed them to have plenty of questions for us, which was great.

“While the industry is quite specialised, there are plenty of options available and it’s hugely encouraging to know that many young women are considering careers in this industry. It’s been highly rewarding for me, so I have no doubt it would be for many other female professionals, too.”

Amy has high hopes for the future of the industry – especially with the sharpening focus on sustainability. However, she appreciates there is still a long way to go. She continued: “The industry has definitely taken a step in the right direction in recent years but there needs to be tighter regulations and an increased understanding of the importance of sustainability and using energy efficient systems.

“Likewise, there needs to be better representation across the industry. Not just more women but more people of all ethnicities, backgrounds, and cultures. Equal representation is so important and while the construction industry is rapidly improving in this regard, there is still more to be done.”