Natta Celebrates Women in Construction

This week, Natta is celebrating Women in Construction Week and International Women’s Day!

Construction remains a largely male-dominated industry and it is hugely important for businesses to embrace the value of women in their workforce. At Natta, we have seen first-hand the positives women in the industry can bring. This includes bringing a broader variety of skills, perspectives and ideas to the table.

In the 1980s, Natta employed one of the first female machine drivers in the UK. Lil Buckle is still working for the Natta Group and now runs our Plant Hire Department. Since then, we have recruited several female Engineers, Estimators, Quantity Surveyors, Document Controllers and Machine Drivers, as well as the many women we have at our Head Office. Natta is committed to continuing the rise of women employed with us.

In celebration of our female workforce, the Natta Group took part in a number of events this week to recognise our women in construction.

Hampshire County Council’s Construction Skills Project and Morgan Sindall held a webinar that the women of Natta were invited to attend. The meeting was held in line with the theme of International Women’s Day, #BreakTheBias. It was a great opportunity for females in the industry to share knowledge and discuss the gender balance at work. This forum has given women in the local area a fantastic platform to network with other industry professionals and strive towards a more equal workplace.

Our training provider, CISTC, also attended a Women in Construction Expo in Basingstoke. Here, women looking for a career change could network and discover new opportunities in construction. Sharron Hampson attended on behalf of CISTC and you can read more about the day on their blog.

As well as this, Natta Marketing & ICT Manager, Jo Whelan and CISTC Office Manager, Angela Fowler attended a special Surrey Entrepreneurs and Executives meeting to celebrate International Women’s Day. Alex Lazarus, of Lazarus & Maverick, gave a fantastic talk on the ‘Identity of Self – Who Shows Up’. Alex is a Leadership Coach who was recently featured in the book, The Freedom of Constraints, as one of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches.

Jo Whelan said: “Alex delivered a very thought-provoking talk about the different personas that we carry with us throughout our lives. We explored how we can adapt our thinking to bring the right persona forward in the everyday challenges that we face to benefit us and the situation. The discussion included the important female role models in our lives and how their resilience and resourcefulness have helped to shape us into better leaders and human beings. Thank you so much to Paul Adlam for inviting me to this thoroughly enjoyable day.”

About Women in Construction Week

Women in Construction Week is an opportunity to recognise women in the sector and challenge the stereotypes they face. It aims to encourage the next generation to start a career in construction and allow them to enter into the industry without discrimination or bias.

About International Women’s Day

Held on Tuesday 8^th March, International Women’s Day is a yearly campaign to celebrate women as well as raise awareness against bias. The event has now occurred for well over a century with the first gathering being held in 1911. Since then, the campaign has been supported by millions all working towards one goal – to create a gender-equal world.

This year’s theme is #BreakTheBias aiming to increase the visibility of women’s achievements and limit discrimination faced in all areas of life.