• 1 in 14 of the UK workforce is employed in construction - that's nearly 2 million people!
• Women have been working in construction since the Middle Ages!
• Women account for around 1% of tradespeople and 11.6% of those working in design and management occupations.
• Every year the construction industry offers career opportunities for enough people to fill a football stadium (48,000 each year for the next 4 years).

What can you expect?

• You can work towards a wide range of professional, recognised qualifications.
• Plenty of scope to move up the career ladder…it doesn't matter what level you start at.
• You can put your creative skills to the test in many different scenarios.
• A huge variety of work.
• Once qualified there are plenty of opportunities to work abroad.
• The freedom to start your own business (a staggering 35% of the construction industry are self-employed!).
• The satisfaction of knowing that you helped to build something that will last for generations to come.
• Opportunities to make a real difference to the environment you live in.

Different routes into construction
There are many routes into the industry, but most people choose to enter at a craft, technical or professional level. You can either do an apprenticeship and learn on the job or go to university and enter construction at graduate level.

Read through the Construction Diaries of women who are already 'on the job' - how they got started, what a typical day involves, and their hopes for the future. Architect - Karen

• Civil Engineer - Jenny
• Construction Manager - Caroline
• Estimating Technician - Fiona
• Demolition Operative - Holly Painter and
• Decorator - Natalie

If you are already working in construction and you are looking for more information or support click here