InSite | Women in Construction Week #4

Women in Construction Week #4

We are celebrating Women in Construction week against the backdrop that according to the latest Office for National Statistics workforce figures, the proportion of women in construction remains stubbornly low – fewer than one in eight.

 

We caught up with several women at Premier Guarantee and ask them about their roles, how their careers have developed, and any advice they have for others.

 

Jess Dutton, Learning and Development Advisor

 

What did you do before you joined Premier Guarantee?

 

Premier Guarantee was my first full time job! I had part time roles and went to university before coming to Birkenhead.

 

How has your career developed here?

 

I started in October 2017 as a Learning and Development Assistant and this was my first full time job so I did not know what to expect. Within the first six months I knew this was not a “job” but my career and I could see how I was going to develop.

 

I was given so many opportunities to explore different paths and try new things. After probation I enrolled on a Level 3 CIPD course which meant I went to college one evening a week for a year. I earned a promotion in January 2020 to Learning and Development Advisor.

 

I then began to get involved in delivering training, designing and recreating sessions to deliver through Teams or eLearning packages. In September 2021 I began my Human Resource Management masters which the company are supporting me with.

 

What support have you had from the company to get where you are today?

 

I am really grateful for the financial support I received from the company for my Level 3 and Level 7 CIPD qualifications. The support from my colleagues is also appreciated, whether I have a question to do with one of my university assignments or I need to get an opinion or idea from a member of the team to inspire me whilst designing content - there is always someone willing to help. The motivation and belief from my manager and team members also encourages my willingness to continue to develop.

 

 

Opening quotation mark

Have the confidence in yourself, you don’t need to have it all worked out!

Closing quotation mark

Jess Dutton, Learning and Development Advisor

Has any internal training supported your career development?

 

Yes, continuous 1:1 coaching and feedback with Andy Gemmell, our Learning and Development Consultant. I’ve also done Train the Trainer, Presentation Skills, and Emotional Intelligence.

 

What new skills, personal and professional have you learnt or developed since joining?

 

Main one for me is confidence! If somebody would have told me in school that I would be delivering training to a group of people I wouldn’t have believed them… now here I am doing it as my job and enjoying it! I have always been an organised person but this role has ensured that my time management and organisation skills are to a high standard.

 

What advice would you give to someone wishing to progress their career?

 

Keep doing things that you are uncomfortable with as this helps you develop and grow.

 

I came across this quote once and it has always stuck with me:

 

“Growth is uncomfortable because you’ve never been here before… you’ve never been this version of you. So give yourself a little grace and breathe through it.”

 

So that would be my advice… you may feel uncomfortable at certain stages during your career but that only means you are growing and developing. So stick with it and remember to acknowledge how far you have actually come!

 

Where do you see your career going in the future?

 

Right now I want to just keep learning and developing and building my knowledge in the Learning and Development and HR areas.

 

If you had one piece of career advice for your younger self, what would it be?

 

Have the confidence in yourself, you don’t need to have it all worked out!

 

Interviews with more women in construction


Ewa Jacobowska, Head of Technical Operations
Caroline Tomey, South East Regional Manager Surveying Team
Jacqui Bonnington, Consistency and Compliance Manager

 

We are hiring


A number of roles are available with us right now. So if Women in Construction Week causes you to re-evaluate your career, please take a look at the opportunities available here now. Plus, you could read more about our work opportunities via the article links below.

 

Please Note: Every care was taken to ensure the information in this article was correct at the time of publication.

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