Building Better Futures
An initiative led by Hollie Statham, Design Manager at Bowmer and Kirkland, and Jonathan Hunter, partner at GSS Architecture.
What is Building Better Futures?
Hollie and Jonathan partnered up with the North Eastern Universities Purchasing Consortium (NEUPC) when the pandemic first hit, enabling them to work closely with the north east universities of Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside (the NE5) to develop a range of agreements and initiatives. Hollie and Jonathan support the engagement group, in particular, with the aim of delivering greater benefit to the North East economy and community as a whole.
Recognising a gap in the sector, they were keen to create a resource that would promote the range of roles in construction to young females. With the average pay gap in the construction sector sitting at 28%, construction is still perceived to be a male-dominated industry – Building Better Futures aims to change that through its three core aims:
- Raise Aspirations: Target the widest range of youngsters from the broadest social backgrounds in the North East
- Raise Awareness: Promote the breadth and depth of careers and opportunities available in the construction industry
- Breakdown Stereotypes: Highlight that the construction industry is available to everyone and to show that there are many women already playing key roles in construction
Building Better Futures resources
The initiative features a series of videos including animated and real-life content, focusing on some of the professions that are involved in construction projects, such as the Newcastle Helix. The videos highlight nine different women, each with a successful career in the construction industry, and how they work to make projects like the Helix a reality.
Alongside each of the videos, you will also find a corresponding downloadable factsheet, featuring average salaries and typical working hours.
Find out more…
Find out more about Hollie and Jonathan, as well as the initiative, by reading our Q&A blog here. You can also visit the NEUPC website or get in touch via Twitter and Instagram.