Women working in the construction industry are set to be celebrated at a national awards ceremony this year.
The shortlist has been revealed for the ‘Top 100 Women in Construction Awards’ which will take place in Birmingham in October.
The awards, introduced by the National Federation of Builders (NFB) for the first time last year, aim to showcase women in the sector to make female and non-binary role models more visible and accessible – and create a more inclusive industry while plugging the skills gap.
Danny Clarke, Commercial Director for the National Federation of Builders, said: ”We launched the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction Awards last year in order to celebrate the amazing women and their allies that are doing wonderful things throughout the Industry.
“Whilst it’s undeniable that we need to bring more females into the industry, we also need to recognise the amazing people we have already working within it.
“Unlike many influential lists that focus purely on senior individuals, the NFBs Top 100 Women in Construction is fully inclusive and crucially showcases all the role models in our industry from Trainees and Apprentices right the way through to the boardroom.
“Our Legacy programme also helps to support individuals to develop skills necessary to make the change and lead our industry in the years to come, showcasing what’s possible for people within our wonderful industry.”
The NFB represents builders, contractors and house builders across England and Wales and it hopes to motivate and inspire the next generation of female workers to pursue construction-related careers.
The categories for this year’s awards include Local Heroes, Influential List, Allies, One to Watch, and Woman on the Tools.
Bethany Holroyd, UK Health and Safety Business Partner at WSP in the UK and North East, won the Unsung Hero award last year.
Further reading: Bethany discusses the need for equality and encouraging more females in to sector in her two articles for SHP: Moving Forward and Recruit to Retain
She said: “Following the awards last year, I have made so many new connections, of which several have become not only business connections but great friends too. Everyone I met was genuinely inspiring – and we all regularly connect with each other almost a year later.”
The Top 100 most Influential Women in Construction shortlist for 2023 can be found here.
As part of the event the NFB has developed a year-long Top 100 Legacy Programme of training and support available to those that have nominated or been nominated, which includes mentoring, virtual and in-person networking events, master classes, pathway support, and more.
Why? What about the top 100 people in construction?