Girls making it work in a man's world at major Leeds development

It’s a man’s world, as the saying goes, but two women are making their way in it at one of the biggest developments Leeds has seen for decades.A recent report revealed women only account for 14 per cent of the construction industry’s workforce and in an attempt to improve these figures, contractor Wates Construction and commercial property developer, MEPC, are making sure the next phase of work at Wellington Place, attracts more women.

Aimee Shann and Natalie Harris, are two apprentices working on the construction of numbers 7 and 8. Aimee is a production management trainee and Natalie a commercial management trainee.

They told City Buzz the challenges were not so much working in a male-dominated environment but dealing with jargon and juggling the jump from education to the workplace.

Aimee, 23, said: “The most difficult thing wasn’t the industry I was going into, but the change of dynamic of going straight from school into work. Although I knew university wasn’t the right path for me, it did feel a little like being thrown into the deep end.“I have a lot of family members who work in construction, with both my grandad and uncle going down this route. Although construction is very much in our blood, I am very proud to say that I am the first woman in the family to work in the industry.”

Natalie added: “To put it simply, things won’t change in this industry unless women have the courage to go for it. Don’t get me wrong, this job isn’t for everyone, but the idea that a role is more or less suited to someone based on their gender is completely wrong and I hope that this sentiment will be commonplace for future generations.”