Breaking down barriers to construction careers - Shrewsbury College Group

Jose Jarrett, Painting and Decorating Teacher, Shrewsbury College Group

As a young woman, I knew I wanted to work in construction. However, historic misconceptions, employers and school career advisors discouraged me from a career in construction, claiming I wasn't cut out for painting and decorating. Instead I was told to become a legal secretary because my grades matched that profession. Thankfully, I had my parents encouragement and support, and with persistence and determination. My twin sister, who is also a painter and decorator, and I founded our own business where we were both in charge of the establishment and administration of our design firm offering a range of interior design and painting and decorating services to both residential and commercial clients. We both finished conservation projects in banks, schools, and hostels, as well as restoration work on churches and listed buildings. We also studied painting and decorating and attended university to earn degrees in interior design. Today, I am a Painting and Decorating Lecturer at Shrewsbury College Group. No one should be discouraged from pursuing their passion, and I am enthusiastic about changing the way people think about career opportunities, especially in the construction industry.

In 2022, the team and I at Shrewsbury Colleges Group established Construction Inc with an emphasis on ‘Inc’ as a reflection of our commitment to inclusion, focussing especially on women. Construction Inc is designed to offer career guidance by informing young people about their options and suitability for the industry.

We provide taster sessions for young female students who are unsure of their next steps and would benefit from speaking to women already in the industry. They help young people decide what they want to do, whilst supporting their needs and personal choices bridging the gap between school and employment. To date, we have held six events, attended by more than 30 young women, including visits and presentations from women in industry, such as civil engineers and architects creating earlier connections with secondary schools, we can generate interest in this area. These sessions have been well received, and we have seen an increase in interest from young women.

At the college group, six women are employed full-time in the construction department in a variety of teaching and support positions, including carpentry, painting, plumbing, and electrical. Because we teach construction in further education, we can offer more support to young people by being authentic about our working backgrounds, alongside sharing our experiences and knowledge. I can still clearly recall the challenges from when I was 16-years-old, trying to get companies to take my career choice seriously.

It would have been wonderful for me as a young woman to have had the chance to try various trades and talk to someone who had worked in this field. Even though I believe we are heading in the right direction as educators, we can do more to support diversity in construction.