Bouygues Construction United Kingdom hosts Women’s Construction Skills Academy highlighting range of career opportunities in construction

From Monday 4th March until Friday 8th March, Bouygues Construction United Kingdom hosted a five-day Women’s Construction Skills Academy for female residents of Tower Hamlets to showcase the diverse range of career opportunities available to women in construction.

In partnership with Tower Hamlets Council, Mount Anvil, Endeavour UK and Women into Construction, Bouygues Construction United Kingdom’s bespoke five-day course was targeted specifically to female residents of the borough. Participants received a combination of classroom and practical training, giving them tangible qualifications to embark on a potential career in the construction industry and to apply for relevant roles.

They also had the opportunity to hear from over 20 female staff from Bouygues, Mount Anvil, Women into Construction and Keltbray about their career journeys into construction and engineering, gaining insight into the diversity of career opportunities available in these exciting industries.

On Friday, coinciding with International Women’s Day, Chairman of Bouygues Construction United Kingdom, Fabienne Viala and Mayor of Tower Hamlets, John Biggs, met the course participants and presented them with certificates as a mark of their achievements so far.

Fabienne Viala, UK Country Manager for Bouygues Construction, said: “It has been very encouraging to see that so many of the participants have been inspired by what they have experienced this week and I sincerely hope that we will see their faces on our sites in the future.

“So often there are misconceptions about the industry but as a woman who has spent over 30 years in construction, I know from personal experience what a dynamic and collaborative sector it really is and passionately believe that the more diverse our workforce, the more innovation we can continue to bring.

“I am very proud and grateful to Welink, our professional women’s network for Bouygues UK and Bouygues Energies & Services, for their energy and enthusiasm in driving this fantastic initiative and to all our female staff who have volunteered their time this week to share their positive experiences of the industry. I very much hope that it will encourage the participants to join us.”

John Biggs, Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “I’m delighted to be here on International Women’s Day to congratulate the inspiring women who have completed this course. We must all do what we can to ensure that outdated views about male-only industries are consigned to history where they belong.”

Image © Max Grizaard