Students from St Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls in Enfield recently toured Lovell’s Ponders End development to find out more about opportuniteis in construction.
The young visitors met women with successful construction careers as they took a close-up look at progress on the Electric Quarter, a major regeneration development transforming the area with 167 energy-efficient homes, a brand-new high street home for Ponders End library as well as new shops.
The £48 million Electric Quarter development in Ponders End is taking place in partnership with the London Borough of Enfield. A dozen students aged 14 to 17 went behind the scenes on site, finding out about the construction process and the wide range of career opportunities for women.
“Eye-opening! Lovell opened doors for me I never knew existed and inspired me to follow in the footsteps of the women who work for Lovell,” says student Lubna Taraki, Year 10, at St Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls. “Every girl should get the amazing experience we received on our recent visit to the Electric Quarter development and our first introduction to the field of construction. Mr Cowley and all the team made us very welcome. Thank you.”
“The morning taught me that the glass ceilings are non-existent if you were to work at Lovell,” says student Kasey Oxide, Year 12, at St Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls. “Women were undertaking roles normally perceived as being male-dominated. It made me realise there are no boundaries. The morning also made me realise that once I have finished my A levels, there could be a different route to achieving my dream of becoming an architect. I felt very inspired. Thank you everyone for making it such a brilliant day and making us so welcome.”
“The idea that construction is a man’s world still persists – and is partly why women remain under-represented in the industry as a whole,” says Lovell regional training advisor Sophia Bruce. Office for National Statistics figures point to women making up just 12.8% of the total national construction workforce.
Lovell now plans to organise further site visits for students at St Anne’s as the Electric Quarter progresses through its ongoing campaign to encourage more girls and young women to consider construction careers.
Image: Students at St Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls in Enfield visiting the Electric Quarter development in Ponders End.
