Girls in Construction – Number Of Girls Studying Construction Is On The Rise
Bucks UTC is celebrating the start of a very successful new Academic Year in Construction, as the number of girls studying the subject has risen by three-times more than that of the previous year. We speak with some of these latest students, to find out why Construction appeals to them, and why they chose Bucks UTC.
Key Stage 4 Construction students. L/R Kinga, Lauren, Robyn and Taisha.
Girls In Construction – In Conversation
“I’ve learned more life skills in the first two weeks here than I ever did at my previous school… My dream is to study Architecture & History at Boston University, and to one day paint the New York skyline.” – Lauren, Level 2 Construction.
In conversation with five of the girls from KS4 Construction: Lauren, Kinga, Tashai, Dayana and Robyn, they expressed their great ambitions and joy for studying the subject at Bucks UTC. When asked of what professions they’d like to enter, responses ranged from that of Interior Design, Architecture, and working in the Automotive Industry. Students didn’t feel limited by their gender, and spoke largely of how much they loved the course and the atmosphere around them. “The environment here is really nice, it’s a fantastic community where you get treated like adults and you are respected by all fellow students”, said Kinga. Fellow student Robyn added “I love trucks and all things automotive and construction-related, so it’s great to have found a place where I can study things that I have a real interest in.”
When talking about how they found the course, students unanimously agreed that Bucks UTC was the best alternative to a traditional school as it got them ready for their professional careers from an early age. “The course couldn’t be more useful, I’ve learned more life skills in the first two weeks here than I ever did at my previous school” – Laura.
“You get to do amazing things here, especially for those who want to express their creativity – Bucks UTC is the best place to come.” – Kinga, Level 2 Construction.
Girls in Construction, Nationally
It’s long known that the Construction Industry is largely populated with men, and with recent figures showing only 11% of the workforce are women, with just 1% being on-site workers, the unfortunate reality is that the Industry is struggling in both appealing to and supporting women. Consequently this has spurred a major initiative to encourage more girls into Construction from UCATT, the UK’s only Construction-only Trade Union.
There are many factors that surround the subject of being a girl in Construction, be these fears of isolation or discrimination, and in addition, we know enough isn’t being done to inspire young girls about the wonderful range of exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
Bucks UTC extensively campaign to promote the opportunities that are available within the Industry and also, of our welcoming, inclusive environment, and we are delighted that we now have more girls than ever before studying Construction under our employer-led curriculum.
Workshops To Inspire
To encourage a UTC-style of learning and the disciplines of each specialist subject, we provide all of our Year 10-to-be students with taster Induction Sessions before the start of an academic year. Induction Workshops took place once a week throughout June and July of this year with students set the challenge of designing and building a video-game console from scratch. This demanded the use of Computing and Construction skills, along with practice in working as a team, project management and presentation skills. The workshops help students to make an informed decision about which specialist route they wish to undergo.
We are pleased to say that 60% of all our incoming female Year 10 students decided to study Construction with Bucks UTC, agreeing it was right for their ambitions within the Construction Workforce. The number of Year 10 female students studying Construction for 2016-17 is three-times greater than in the previous Academic Year.
