Member Article

Barratt Developments North East encourages women to pursue a career in construction this International Women’s Day

Ahead of International Women’s Day, which takes place on 8th March, recent shock statistics reveal that just one in eight construction workers are female . Leading housebuilder, Barratt Developments North East, is encouraging more women to consider a career in the male-dominated construction industry by shining a light on one of its many leading ladies, Leanne Hardcastle.

Upon completing her BSc Honours degree in Building Surveying back in 2015, Leanne chose to kick start her career in construction with Barratt Developments through the Accelerated Construction Programme as a Trainee Assistant Site Manager. Barratt Developments prides itself on the career progression opportunities offered to its employees, and Leanne’s impressive advancement within the Construction department sets a wonderful example. Within just four short years of joining the leading housebuilder as a trainee, Leanne quickly climbed up the ladder of success and has recently been promoted to her new role of Site Manager, where her daily responsibilities have evolved to include decision making when challenges arise within the Technical and Engineering teams, as well as managing the daily maintenance of site.

During her time working in the heavily male-dominated industry, Leanne highlights that she has never felt at a disadvantage and has always been met with the same equality and professionalism shown to her male co-workers, thanks to Barratt Developments’ progressive attitude in the workplace.

Speaking about her recent promotion during the pandemic, Leanne commented: “The pandemic has had an impact on us all, especially with the way we work on site and the safety measures we’ve strictly adhered to. I’m so grateful to have been able to maintain some normality during this difficult period and it’s wonderful to see the dedication and support Barratt Developments offer to their employees during uncertain times.”

The local housebuilder is constantly working towards bridging the gap between the gender division in the sector by investing in, and offering, equal opportunities to all of its employees. When asked about encouraging more women to pursue a career in construction, Leanne advised ladies who are interested to “go for it!”, stating that the housebuilding industry is a rewarding and fast paced one with no two days being the same; “Some days you get the mud and rain and others you get the sun, it’s all about the balance.” She also added that more women are realising the opportunities that are available within the industry and how pleased she is to see more women involved both on and off site.

Carl Sobolewski, Managing Director at Barratt Developments North East, commented: “Here at Barratt Developments, we’re proud to work with such talented teams and it’s fantastic to see Leanne’s hard work being rewarded with her very well-deserved progression. As a housebuilder that champions diversity across the industry, we will continue to encourage and inspire women to consider a career within the industry, whether that be following in Leanne’s footsteps within Construction, or working closely across other departments such as Marketing, Customer Care, Sales, Technical, Land and Planning, Finance or Commercial; there is something for everyone!”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .