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Reconstructing Gender Roles

Female students at Walsall College have been challenging traditional gender role stereotypes by increasingly opting for Construction courses such as Brickwork, Painting & Decorating, Carpentry & Joinery and the Built Environment.

Construction has long been a male dominated industry, with few girls choosing to study the subject; however, the females at Walsall College are continuing to turn this trend around, signalling an end to the industry’s shortage of women.

Curriculum Manager for Construction, Barry Hill said, “There has been a definite increase in females choosing to enrol on Construction courses here, from 10 in 05/06 to 19 in 07/08 and now 23 currently enrolled this year. This is a trend we hope will continue in the coming years to even up the gender gaps in the industry”.

Barry added, “We welcome and positively encourage females into Construction. It’s all about thoroughly explaining the requirements to candidates, breaking down the stereotypical ideas and allowing them to see classes taking place so they can see the environment they will be working in before they start. We also have a female tutor on our team, so we are leading by example”.

Painting & Decorating Apprentice Victoria Maher, former runner up Apprentice of the Year with her company Seddons commented, “I’d be crawling the walls if I couldn’t do a practical job – I much prefer to get on with doing things. I’ve never been put off by it being more of a ‘boyish’ subject – if a lad can do it, a girl can too. Being a girl hasn’t been an issue at all, I get treated like anyone else”.

Brickwork Apprentice Claire Brittain who won Apprentice of the Year in 2007 with her company George Wimpy Homes added, “I would definitely encourage people to take a Construction course at Walsall College – you get the opportunity to gain the skills and experience to get a good career in the Construction Industry. If there are other girls out there wanting to try a Construction course, I’d tell them to give it a go. It only takes a few girls to be different and get into the industry and soon there will be loads of us!”


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