East Midlands homebuilder inspires women to join the construction industry

Women in Construction (WIC) Week is a nationwide initiative that recognises the achievements of women working in the sector, and International Women’s Day (IWD) is focused on raising awareness of discrimination and advocating for gender equality. This year, the IWD theme is ‘Give to Gain’, encouraging people to give support through donations, sharing knowledge or providing training.

In support of these campaigns, Allison Homes invited employees to offer their best pieces of advice, both to women already in the industry and those considering a new career path.

One employee sharing her experience of the housebuilding sector is Aimée Watts, Land and Partnerships Manager in Allison Homes’ East Midlands region.

Aimée, from Leicestershire, said: “I have been interested in housebuilding from a young age as I have a family member who has been in the industry for a long time, so I basically grew up in it. A career in housebuilding has always appealed to me as the industry is incredibly varied, offering significant opportunities for personal development and the chance to make an impact in communities.

“I have been lucky to work for values-motivated companies including Allison Homes, who value their staff highly regardless of gender. There are more women in senior-level, land-focused roles than when I started in the industry too, with the land department evolving from a stereotypically male-dominant landscape to one that is more mixed and accessible.

“In some situations, as a woman you may have to work slightly harder to ensure your voice is heard, but overcoming the apprehension of being in a male-dominated environment and being comfortable in your own knowledge, experience and capabilities goes a long way.”

After reflecting on her own experiences Aimée looked to the future, speaking on why there’s such a need to create a more diverse industry.

She continued: “It’s incredibly important to encourage women into construction at all levels, in all specialisms, to create a balanced, varied and ultimately successful industry. Housebuilding offers a unique variety of job roles that women can become involved in, and we should be promoting this as an exceptional opportunity.

“To anyone considering a career in the sector, I would recommend doing your research into the wide variety of roles available, from land acquisition all the way through to customer care. To those already in working in construction, my advice is to maximise every opportunity and don’t be afraid to be innovative: the housebuilding industry thrives on new-thinking and new ideas.

“The best piece of advice I’ve been given is to have confidence in your own knowledge and abilities, and advocate for what you believe in. However, never turn down the opportunity to learn something new, as you never know when it will become useful in the future.”

John Anderson, CEO of Allison Homes, said: “At Allison Homes, we strive to foster a diverse and collaborative workplace, where people feel supported, heard and able to openly share their views.

“Currently 35 per cent of our team are women, with six women being in Director roles and two in Head of Department roles. We are always looking for ways to inspire women to join our exciting world, including recently hiring more women apprentices, and will continue to hold ourselves to high standards as we advocate for more diversity across the construction industry.”

Allison Homes East Midlands, headquartered in Castle Donington, is building new communities in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

For more information on Allison Homes and starting a career with the housebuilder, visit https://allison-homes.co.uk/careers/.

To find out more about Women In Construction Week and International Women’s Day, head to https://nawic.org/wic-week/ and https://www.internationalwomensday.com/.