‘Inspire and be Inspired’ was the key message to 130 female employees at our first Women in Construction Networking event, held on 1st October in our Hoddesdon Head Office.
In addition to being able to network and share experiences, females working in VolkerFitzpatrick, VolkerHighways and VolkerServices, heard an inspirational and motivational presentation by Build UK’s Chief Executive, Suzannah Nichol.
Suzannah shared ‘10 things she wished she knew’ before embarking on her successful career in construction. She provided practical takeaways with a focus on confidence, stepping outside of your comfort zone and learning to prioritise busy lives based on your own values.
Also joining the event were PPE suppliers Leo Brothers and Rockfall who showcased their wide range of PPE, designed specifically for women. This supports ongoing companywide trials to enhance PPE offering to females around the business.
The morning ended with the opportunity to share suggestions back to the company about how to attract and retain more women into the business, and how to provide support when starting a family and experiencing menopausal symptoms – all of which are being considered by the VolkerWessels UK Women in Construction working group.
"Our ability to attract and retain women in a male dominated environment can be challenging, so this provided a wonderful opportunity to show our female employees they are valued, listened to and supported in being their authentic selves at work. The feedback received has been overwhelmingly positive with delegates feeling ‘empowered’, ‘inspired’ and ‘motivated’. This event was part of our companywide RESPECT programme which, at its heart, has a simple message to treat everyone in a way that they, and you, would like to be treated."
Annie Campbell, VolkerFitzpatrick Head of HR and Chair of the Women in Construction working group, and Emma Ward, VolkerWessels UK Head of Sustainability and Inclusion, reflect on the event
