hub South West has concluded its first highly successful eight week introductory course aimed at getting more women into the construction industry.

In partnership with its main contracting partners – Kier, Graham, Morrisons and Morgan Sindall – hub South West supported the Women into Construction course, facilitated by New College Lanarkshire.

The course, which had no formal entry requirements, was open to young females, and provided a National 5 qualification in Construction Crafts. The successful students can now progress to pre-apprenticeships or move into a professional career route at higher national certificate level.

Throughout the course, which included painting and decorating, masonry work, carpentry and joinery as well as visits to live construction sites, ambassador talks, visits to design offices at regional headquarters, CSCS specific safety training and work placements, students had the opportunity to visit sites managed by the supporting contractors, where they observed a variety of construction roles in action.

Margaret Milton, community benefits co-ordinator at hub South West, said: “As an organisation which actively promotes the ethical and sustainable development of the construction industry, hub South West has been pushing hard to see a significant rise in the numbers of young women realising the fantastic career opportunities ahead of them within what has been, traditionally, a male-dominated industry.

“The course caught the young women’s interest from the start. They quickly formed a collegiate, supportive environment where each participated fully in their efforts to find out more about the career opportunities available to them and I’m proud to have taken part.”

Michael McBrearty, chief executive of hub South West, said: “Our continuing drive to show young females the possibilities of a career in construction is an aspect of hub South West’s work. I take pride in. It’s important that young people, regardless of gender, see the bright future they can have through a career in construction.”

hub South West was established in 2012 to deliver value-for-money on public sector community-based infrastructure across Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway. Since then it has successfully carried through to completion projects to the value of £380 million.