The housebuilder has teamed up with five schools in the east midlands to pilot a three-year programme where students will be paired with female mentors to showcase the sector.

The programme will provide individuals with communication skills, guidance in CV writing and insights into construction alongside STEM activities and teamwork.

This will culminate with career pathways into Galliford Try itself where individuals can choose a role they are interested in, and are then provided with support for interview preparation.

Construction remains a male-dominated industry, while millions are employed in the sector, according to the Office for National Statistics, in Q1 2024 only 282,000 of these were women.

•   Galliford Try wins £101m in public sector contracts
•   Galliford Try sees 21% increase in revenue year-on-year
•   Galliford Try completes sale of housebuilding businesses

At the same time, 1.7 million men were employed in construction

Commenting on the programme, Vikki Skene, group HR director at Galliford Try, revealed women make up only 23% of the housebuilder’s workforce.

“Barriers to entry for women and girls include misconceptions around what working in construction entails, the variety of roles and disciplines on offer, the competitive salaries and rewards, and ability to be flexible with working arrangements throughout someone’s career and the lack of role models who have similar experiences to them,” said Vikki.

“By introducing our Mentoring the Next Generation Programme, we aim to break down these barriers, demonstrating a hugely fulfilling, rewarding and flexible career with a variety of roles available that girls and young women may not yet know are possibilities for them in an environment that enables them to be successful.”