Tuesday 14th March 2006
WOMEN BUILD CAREERS IN CONSTRUCTION

High profile joiner, Julie Sullivan, is to provide a role model to learners on Calderdale College’s new women-only construction courses at the North Halifax Skills Centre in Ovenden. Julie joined the college as a tutor in January, after appearing on Channel 4’s ‘Grand Designs’ where she worked on a timber-framed straw bale house in Sussex.

Julie will teach short courses in wood skills, dovetailing with classes in brick, interior design, painting, decorating and tiling trades at the newly refurbished centre in Calderdale Business Park, Club Lane (formerly known as Bright Sparks). Taster sessions are scheduled for 24 and 29 March with an information and advice session on 5 April.

“The classes will start in April and then again in September and January, are open to women from 16 – 65 and run in a supportive female environment”, explained Ruth Stead, manager at the North Halifax Skills Centre. “There will be help with learning plans, confidence building and starting up your own business. We may be able to offer support with childcare costs and 16 – 18-year-olds may be able to claim the Education Maintenance Allowance.”

Brian Duffy, head of arts, design and construction at Calderdale College, said “This is part of the ‘Women Build West Yorkshire’ project. It’s still unusual to find women in construction work although it can be a rewarding and lucrative career. Recent press reports about women lagging behind in pay scales and not being guided into better paid, traditionally male, employment, highlights the importance of offering construction training opportunities to women. According to the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board), women account for only one per cent of tradespeople and less than twelve per cent of those working in construction design and management”.

Julie already teaches on Calderdale College’s main campus and at its new Construction Skills Academy in Mytholmroyd. The Academy has been established for 14 - 16-year-old school pupils in the upper Calder Valley, and is currently attended by three girls in a predominantly male group. More girls are expected to join September’s new intake.

“When I was at school, these options weren’t there, and the only practical subject that I was offered was cookery”, said Julie. “I trained as a teacher and didn’t begin in joinery until I joined a government retraining scheme in my 20’s. Even then, the opportunities were only available in London where employers’ attitudes were more progressive. After gaining my qualifications, I became an apprentice joiner and mainly did domestic joinery such as making doors, windows and stairs. Eventually I combined my joinery and teaching skills. I’m particularly interested in teaching women and giving them an opportunity that I didn’t have. Women on these courses will be able to benefit from work placement with Pennine Housing, which is geared up to mentor students, and keen to encourage women into construction”.

Information on the ‘Women Build West Yorkshire’ construction courses is available on 01422 322215.