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A partnership program between the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and employment charity, Women into Construction, has supported thousands of women to access jobs in the construction and engineering sector.
The reveal comes as newly published data finds that there are over two million more women now in employment since 2010 across the economy.
Minister for Employment, Mims Davies MP said:
“It’s fantastic to see women climb the ladder – especially in a sector like construction – and support to progress is on hand at jobcentres around the country.
“Almost 2 million more women are in work than in 2010, and while our Work Coaches are focused on getting people into jobs, they are also doing great work supporting people to increase their hours, lift their income and progress.”
One woman who has taken advantage of the programme is Amanjeet from Birmingham. After struggling to find work after graduating university during the pandemic, she was referred to Women into Construction by her local Jobcentre. After a four-weeks of virtual work experience with HS2, she has since secured an Assistant Project Manager role on the high-speed rail connection. Amanjeet said:
“The Women into Construction Virtual work experience programme my DWP work coach referred me to was amazing; I learnt so much about myself and HS2, and afterwards, I was offered a job and finally got to make use of my Civil Engineering degree and do a job I liked.
“The Department for Work and Pensions helped me access the skills and experience I needed to progress to my ideal job as an Assistant Project Manager for HS2 – which without Women into Construction would not have been possible.”
Jacqui Wordsworth, Director of Business Development at Women into Construction said:
“It’s been great seeing talent like Amanjeet’s develop. We are so proud of all the women that we have helped succeed in their careers, within construction and engineering, through our partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions.
“Working within construction is a fantastic opportunity, no matter what gender you are, with huge amounts of potential for progression. We’re committed to Change the Face of Construction by helping more women into employment in this sector and help them succeed through in-depth 1-2-1 support including training, mentorship and work experience.”
Women into Construction has been partnering with DWP to support unemployed women into the construction industry since 2008, offering 1-to-1 support and a supported environment to explore career options in the sector.