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Photocall – Tuesday, 18 July
Four female students are trading the classroom for construction work this week with the help of Bradford Community Housing Trust Group.

Year 10 girls Alice Smith, Charlotte Margison, Sobhan McDonald and Toni Worby who all attend Beckfoot Grammar School are spending a four day placement with Business Development, part of the Trust’s Bradford Building Services, getting hands on experience of different building skills.

They will work with joiners, masons, plumbers, plasterers and electricians at various improvement projects in East Bradford and the Ilkley area.

The students will also hear about working in the construction industry from local managers at the Trust.

The placements are part of the Wider Horizons Programme, set up by the Jive Project, which is part of the UK Resource Centre for Women and includes a base at Bradford College. The project works to increase the number of women entering and progressing in non-traditional areas of work such as construction, engineering and science.

On Tuesday (18 July), the students will join workers at one of the housing trust’s latest improvement schemes – a flat conversion at Norton House in Laisterdyke.

Last year, Delroy Beverley, BCHT’s Head of Business Development, recruited the Trust’s first female trade apprentice to work on construction projects at Bradford Building Services, and he is delighted to host these placements.

Delroy said: “Over the next few days the students will get an invaluable insight into the different construction trades. Hopefully, they will go away enthused enough to consider the industry as a career and recommend it to others.

“Gradually, more women are coming into the industry nationally and at BCHT we want to encourage more young people to take up modern apprenticeships.

“It is well known the industry is a male-dominated area and needs to attract more women. We are actively working to promote diversity and address skill shortages locally.”
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Delroy Beverley is also a Construction Ambassador with the Construction Industry Training Board, which involves working with schools to encourage more females and under represented groups to consider careers in construction.

The four students will be with the Trust from 17-20 July.