Jenny Wilks

"I work in the Highways Study Team and my responsibilities are for several __________ ___________ schemes, from the _______ _______ to _______ _________. I also get to look after to __________ ______ of things too."

Caroline Gray

"I manage and ____________ the team on site, monitor the __________ __________ and the costs associated with the _______. I liaise between the client and the _______ _______. There's a lot of interest in our site, so I need to address any issues raised by the _______."

Claire Chivers

"I will go and survey the roof, ______ _____________and go back to the office to work out how much _________, timber, skips, etc. are needed. Once the project is underway, I ________ the site and ______ _____any problems they may be having."

Eleni Golfinou

"My job is to mainly _______ the subcontractors on site, but essentially what I do is to take the ________ from the design team and turn it into a _______, its really ____________, but ___________ work."

3. Listen again to Caroline Gray and Eleni Golfinou and say what advice they give to perspective students. Tick the correct answers.

2. to have work experience

3. to relish a chellenge

4. to have confidence/ to be confident

5. to make quick decisions

Activity 7

1. Discuss the questions:

Why do women choose a career in Civil Engineering? What advantages and disadvantages does the construction industry offer women?

2. This is the article “Build a great career” from “the Times”. Look through it quickly and compare your answers to what the article says.

B 1uild a great career!

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As in the construction industry may find it a bit rough and ready sometimes, but it’s also highly rewarding, says Susan Pape

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It’s rough, it’s tough and it’s no place for a woman. Or that’s the traditional view of the building industry – populated, as we all suppose, by large men. But is the stereotypical image a realistic one?

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Construction is one of the largest industries in the UK, worth some ₤ 60 billion and employing just over million people. But women account for just 9 per cent of the workforce – with the majority of those working in secretarial positions – and that is a position the industry is looking to improve.

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The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is running a campaign to attract more young women into the industry by highlighting the various careers available. And building companies are now echoing the call. Jeff Fryer, managing director of construction company M&M Plasline, based at Bishop Auckland, believes that the industry is working to raise its professional profile, reputation and standards, and that more women will want to join. “The industry is not seen as particularly attractive to females. But in my view, women have a lot to offer,” he says.

“They are very good at organization and structure – and while not all of them might want to become plasterers and brickies, there are jobs at the coal face that they would be very good at, particularly in administration and management.”

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Melanie Box says the work is interesting, varied – and fun. She is an admin assistant in the plastering division at M&M Plasline. “Most of my time is spent on admin, typing and filing.” She deals with site constructors but tries to keep them at his door. “Otherwise they come in and leave dust everywhere,” she says. “They are supposed to put plastic overshoes on because their feet are filthy.”

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She also has a swear box in the office and charges 20p for every inadvertent slip. “The lads are so used to working in groups outside that they forget to mind their language.”

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Sue Hubbard’s office is a temporary building on the site where the multi-million pound Braunstone Leisure Center is being built in Leicester.

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She is a receptionist for Willmont Dixon, the construction firm. “I see a lot of the builders,” she says. “They come into the office – and they are very friendly. Some forget themselves and swear but I can take it.

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Sue’s job involves answering phones, sending faxes, sorting the mail and dealing with visitors. “The office is right on the edge of the building site so there’s always a lot going on – and a lot of noise in the background,” she says. “I come to work in normal office clothes because don’t have to go on site that often. And I’m not that keen. I haven’t got a head for heights so there is no way I’m going up one of their ladders.”

But PA Katie Maltby can’t wait to go on site visits and keeps her safety boots, high visibility jacket and helmet at the ready. Much of Katie’s role involves dealing with suppliers, and joinery and plumbing sub contractors.

“I love going out on site, especially when we’re fitting out a store from scratch, because you get to see the job from start to finish, which is very rewarding,” she says.

It means she is on first name terms with many of the builders, joiners, electricians and plumbers she works with. “They are a great bunch,” she says. “I was worried at first because I had the usual image of a builder – and while they are very down to earth they do try to watch their language and behave when I’m about. They’re actually nice people and great fun.”

For details of careers in construction, contact the CITB website: www.bconstructive.co.uk

The purpose of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is to encourage adequate training of persons employed or intending to be employed in the construction industry.

Key prioirities are: Reducing Skills Gaps and Shortages, Improving Productivity and Performance and Improving Learning Supply.

www.citbni.org.uk, www.constructionskills.net

Do you know?

3. Now read the article more carefully. Which of these statements are true or false?

1. Construction is one of the smallest industries in the UK.

2. Women have very good organizational and managerial skills.

3. All the women (in the article) like going out on site.

4. Melanie Box spends all her time on typing and filing.

5. Sue Hubbard doesn’t mind when builders sometimes swear.

6. Katie’s opinion of builders changed while working with them.

4. Find words or phrases in the article which mean:

1. making you feel happy and satisfied because you feel you are doing something useful or important, even if you don’t earn much money (lines 1-5)

2. uncomfortable and with difficult conditions or problems (journey; time) (lines 5-10)

3. difficult to do or deal with ( year, race, decision, question, time) (lines 5-10)

4. to be the reason why something happens, to explain, to give a satisfactory explanation of why something has happened or why you did something (lines 15-25)

5. all the people who work in a particular industry or company, or are available to work in a particular country or area, staff (lines 15-25)

6. to organize or be in charge of an activity intended to achieve a particular result relating to politics or business, or a social improvement (lines 25-35)

7. a short description that gives important details about a person and his profession status (lines 40-50)

8. to use rude or offensive language (lines 95-105)

9. to include or affect someone or something (lines 95-105)

10. not eager to work or learn and enjoy doing it (lines 110-115)

11. (builders’) clothes that are easy to see (lines 115-125)

12. a strong hard hat that soldiers, motorcycle riders, the police or builders wear to protect their heads (lines 115-125)

13. to begin doing something without using anything that existed or was prepared before (lines 125-135)

14. to know someone well enough to call them by their first name (130-140)

15. to stop behaving or living in a way that is not practical (lines 140-150)

Activity 8

In the frame of the campaign to attract more young women into construction industry the Construction Industry Training Board has announced a competition for the best TV program “Women in Construction”.

1. Work in groups of 4. Prepare your projects of the program “Women in Construction”. Suggested roles of the participants are as follows:

Role 1: a journalist interviewing the guests of the program.

Role 2: a female with 20 years experience in construction.

Role 3: a female graduate of Civil Engineering Institute

Role 4: a male managing director of a construction company.

2. Each group should take turns to present their program to the rest of the class.

Discuss which program is the best and why.

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