Networking organisation offers solution to lack of women in construction
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A new networking organisation is looking to partner with UK building companies to raise awareness among young women of the career paths available to them in the construction industry and help bridge the skilled-labour shortage.
The Artemis Network, set up in April 2014, offers UK-wide coaching, mentoring and networking opportunities for girls aged between 16 and 21 with a particular focus on careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) industries.
The charity was founded in 2014 by Viv Dykstra, who has previously worked in the banking, property and engineering sectors and has extensive experience of gender-imbalanced industries.
“The number of women in the UK workforce has increased by more than 20% over the past 20 years, so that today they make up nearly half of all workers(ii), but many are still unaware of the opportunities that exist for them within the construction industry. There are many roles in today’s high-tech, multi-skilled building world for which women are just as well suited as men,” says Viv.
Despite some progress over the last few years construction still remains largely a ‘no-go’ area for women. Even though the industry is desperately short of skilled people, women still only account for 11% of the workforce.
“The industry simply won’t be able to keep up with demand if things carry on as they are, with companies struggling to recruit the skilled staff they need,” says Viv adding: “The simple solution is to employ more women but in order to do this more needs to be done to provide career advice for girls and to make the industry more accessible to women which is where The Artemis Network can help.”
The Artemis Network targets young women in their final years of secondary education (primarily years 12 and 13), as opposed to other networking organizations for women which tend to cater for post-graduates. Supported by Founding Sponsor Credit Suisse and UBS, the charity works with teachers and careers advisors to provide free workshops and events for girls that increase their confidence, employability and networking skills. It also enables young women to access work experience, apprenticeships and other young talent programmes run by its Sponsor organisations.
“I know first-hand the challenges that women face in a male-dominated industry and how gender stereotyping can put many women off entering in the first place. I set up The Artemis Network to help young women overcome these barriers and develop the confidence, knowledge and employability skills that would enable them to access a broader range of careers. It is my aim that The Artemis Network reaches a geographically broad and diverse talent pool of young women in all parts of the country, to equip them to maximize their potential.”
“We are looking to work with construction companies who can help us communicate the rich variety of opportunities in the industry for women and its changing culture,” said Viv.
To find out more information on sponsorship opportunities with The Artemis Network visit www.theartemisnetwork.com/sponsors.