The Go Girls were invited to participate in a taster day at Ace training, this is a specialist construction training center based in Kidlington Oxford.
The aim of the taster day was to give girls and young women the opportunity to take part in learning new skills such as brick laying and carpentry which is predominantly male orientated.
Women have made great advances in the world of work. The employment rate for women continues to rise and today there are more women in work than ever before (now accounting for just under half of the workforce). But, in construction – still one of the largest employers in the UK – progress has been abysmally slow. Women account for only 11 per cent of the construction workforce and just 1 per cent of workers on site. Furthermore, the gender pay gap in construction is still wider than in other industries. The sector can neither justify nor countenance remaining a ‘no-go area’ for women. In order to fill the skills gap it will have to recruit and retain more women, and not just in support roles. Women must be central to the modernisation of the construction industries. Paul Hackett, director of the Smith Institute
The group of girls said they had really enjoyed this experience and said they thought it would be boring to begin with- one of the girls has completed an apprenticeship application form to join the sessions in the new year. She particularly would like to do the apprenticeship in carpentry 🙂
“Brick laying was really cool, i enjoyed it”- Sabbah Bakhtiar
“I though it would be boring but i enjoyed it today”- Frances Goodgame
“I loved it! Cant way to go back- i really enjoyed the carpentry”- Jess Wharton
mjjewell 