Inspiring Women

A female executive has been named among the best paid in the construction industry for the first time. Costain chief financial officer Helen Willis is the 15th best paid boss among listed building contractors, a Construction News analysis found. Willis, who joined the contractor in 2020 from bank note producer…

The winners of the first-ever Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering awards have been revealed at a ceremony in central London. Jointly launched by Construction News and its sister title New Civil Engineer, the awards celebrate the role models and organisations empowering women in construction and engineering. A total of…

Skanska has extended its maternity and paternity leave policies, increasing benefits for its workforce. In a step towards creating more family friendly policies for its staff, the tier one contractor announced improvements that will kick in immediately. Paternity leave, which was previously one week on fully paid leave and another…

More than half of young people consider a career in construction attractive, research shows. A total of 56% of young people aged 18-29 said starting a construction job was an “attractive” prospect, according to a poll by construction data platform NBS, while just under a quarter thought it was “very…

Skanska is launching a pilot scheme to provide work opportunities for highly qualified employees who take a career break. Amid a shortage of skilled workers in the industry, the tier one firm will work with STEM Returners, a programme that helps to reintegrate professionals who are trained in the science,…

Jane Atkinson is executive director of engineering, automation and projects at Bilfinger UK Many of us have campaigned for years to bring more women into the sector. But, sadly, the improvement has been marginal at best. The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data tells us that just 13 per…

As the built environment tussles with a skills shortage, questions have again been asked about what the sector is doing to boost the number of women working in it. Two million women have joined the construction workforce over the last decade, while the number working in engineering has grown by…

The shortlist for the Inspiring Women in Construction & Engineering Awards has been revealed. In total, 40 entrants across seven categories are in the running to claim a prestigious gong at the awards ceremony, sponsored by Curtins and Willmott Dixon. The seven categories recognise the women and teams who stand…

Some 50 construction and engineering firms have committed to improving gender equality in the sector by signing up to the Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering Pledge. The pledge, launched one year ago, is now a Construction News and New Civil Engineer joint initiative to encourage companies to prioritise equality,…

Wates, Willmott Dixon and Jacobs have been included on The Times 2022 list of the Top 50 Employers for Women. National Grid and Network Rail are also on the list, along with mining company Anglo American. Run by Business in the Community (BITC), The Prince’s Responsible Business Network and The…