ONE of the largest privately-owned housebuilders in the UK is bidding to attract more women into the construction industry.

Bloor Homes is hoping that recent key female appointments at the company will encourage more women to consider a career in the sector.

The developer has recently taken on its first female trainee site manager – Samantha Lees at the Laurel Grove development in Fareham – and bricklaying apprentice.

The firm says these are key milestones in what remains a male-dominated industry – and Bloor says it already has above average numbers of women in its HR and finance departments.

According to the Office for National Statistics, women account for just 12.8 per cent of the industry’s workforce. And a survey of 1,000 women aged 16 to 25 found that just 13 per cent would consider a career in construction.

John Lusty, regional managing director for Bloor Homes Southern, said: “With the construction industry facing a serious skills shortage as the demand for new homes continues to grow, it is absolutely vital that we attract more young people to join the sector.

“For far too long, housebuilding has been seen as a male-only domain, and this has severely restricted the number of women prepared to consider a career in the sector. As a result, a huge amount of potential housebuilding talent is being lost to the industry.

“At Bloor Homes, we are committed to increasing the opportunities for women to pursue a fulfilling career in construction, and we are proud to have recruited our first female trainee site manager and bricklaying apprentice this year.

“We hope these appointments will break down the barriers preventing women from currently entering the industry and inspire others to consider construction as a viable and worthwhile career option."