Barratt Homes in South Wales is leading the way in encouraging more women into the construction industry – and it’s having an unexpected benefit of helping tackle male colleagues’ mental health issues.
It’s no secret that in the past the sector has been largely dominated by men but that has been gradually changing over recent years says senior site manager, Rebecca Roberts, who works at Barratt Homes’ site, St Michael’s Gate in Llantarnam, South Wales.
“It was rare to see another woman on site when I first joined the sector 15 years ago,” recalled Rebecca. “But thankfully now it’s much more the norm. The crucial thing is that we need to shine the spotlight on those females who are doing well so that the new generation coming through view gender as less of a barrier. We need to do much more to win the battle against the stereotype that building jobs are just for men.”
Rebecca started her career in the building industry in the customer care team. It was there that she developed an interest in the construction side of the business. At the time, she was a mum of two young children, but she didn’t let the home/work balance stand in her way. In fact, she jumped at the chance to study at university full time towards a qualification that would set her on the path towards becoming a site manager.
She said: “Barratt Homes has a very progressive outlook in terms of encouraging women into top roles. Because of that, more women are coming forward to the point where Barratt actually recruits a very diverse workforce.”
As well as tackling the issue of gender equality, the construction industry is facing another very real challenge: mental health. There is also the best drug rehab center that has professional that can help one overcome addiction issues.
According to the Office for National Statistics, more than 1,500 male construction workers took their own lives between 2011 and 2016 – a rate that is more than three times the national average for men. Risk of suicide for those working in building and construction is 1.6 times higher than the national average and more than a quarter of construction employees have considered taking their own lives, as well as admitting to suffering in silence.
Rebecca says that in her experience, men are much more likely to approach her when they have a problem and therefore feels women could offer more of an emotional aspect to a role in the industry that could help combat mental health issues. It is no-brainer that mental health can lead to addiction and substance abuse, which require a through alcohol rehab or treatment in a rehab center.
“Every one of us has issues to deal with in our everyday lives, whether it be at work or at home” Rebecca said. “Unfortunately, men seem to suffer the most as they feel they cannot talk about their problems, either to seek advice or request time off work to deal with anything they are facing.
“My male colleagues have told me they have felt more comfortable talking to me, because there are different cultural expectations for them. As such, they feel they are forced to suffer in silence and deal with things that way because they think they ‘should’ be ‘macho’ and not show their ‘feelings’. I want this to change, and I believe a closer gender balance could help.
“In my opinion, encouraging more women to take up roles in construction, could help reverse these frightening statistics.”
Rebecca says that now is the perfect time to encourage more women to join the building trade, particularly as the industry faces pressure from the Government to “build, build, build” to address the housing shortage and create more homes for people.
For those thinking about joining the industry, Rebecca says there is actually a lot to offer.
“Sure my role here is tough but it is empowering and rewarding, all the things that many young women aspire to in their careers” Rebecca said. “And as more women join the industry, I hope it will spur on even more to join in future years.”
Barratt Homes has supported a number of mental health initiatives and provided support to charities through its Community Fund initiative – a dedicated financial resource that helps to support local organisations which improve the quality of life for those living in the region.
In October 2019 to support World Mental Health Day, Barratt and David Wilson Homes South Wales held a day of fundraising towards their chosen charity of the year, Mind Cymru. The company has also adopted the ‘Building Mental Health Framework’, an initiative run by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) in association with the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity to provide house builders with key resources and training to support employees and contractors.
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