Students at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds host Women in Construction Anglia event

Students at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds have hosted an event shining a light on the crucial role women play in the construction industry.

The students’ first Women in Construction Anglia (WICA) event, which took place at the college’s University and Professional Development Centre last week, was attended by more than 150 people.

Hosted by Bethany Holroyd, multi-award-winning director of the Safety Superhero Academy, and Siu Mun Li, director of the Temporary Works Forum, the event aimed to shine a light on the crucial role women play in the industry.

Clare Friel, founder of WICA, said: “We wanted to showcase the amazing women driving the sector in East Anglia and to inspire students to take on the challenges ahead.

“The event was a huge success, bringing together construction leaders with a wide range of expertise with the next generation of women in our industry. I’m so proud of all the students for putting on such a brilliant day.”

Bethany Holroyd said: “I think it’s really important for young people to have female role models across the sector who have that lived experience.

“Having local events like this is really important – it’s about seeing people from the local area doing the job, real people working on real projects in the community.”

The event included panel discussions with young women in the construction industry, as well as industry leaders sharing their experiences from a ‘back to school’ classroom experience they had at the college in February.

Alexa Skillet-Moore, a site engineer at Sizewell C, was among the young women in construction interviewed on stage.

She said: “I have always been interested in inspiring the next generation of women in construction, to be able to give that bit of advice I didn’t get myself.

“It was lovely having the opportunity to be able to speak to young women looking to get into the industry to share some of the information I wish I knew when I started.”

Averil Young, teaching advanced practitioner at Eastern Education Group, which runs West Suffolk College, said: “'Education and industry working together is essential to inspiring and supporting the next generation of women in construction, and this event was a powerful example of that collaboration in action.

“With women making up just 12 per cent of the workforce, the presence of successful female role models is transformative.

“It shows our students that they belong, that they have a place in the industry, and that their aspirations are achievable.”