Pupils from three local primary schools discovered the exciting world of construction at Sunderland College’s Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA) during a dedicated Girls in Construction event.

Girls from Willow Wood Primary School, English Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School and Fulwell Junior School took part in a series of hands-on activities designed to challenge stereotypes and encourage more girls and young women to consider careers in construction.

The event, led by the college as the North East’s Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC) and the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority’s North East Ambition programme, brought together leading employers and industry organisations including Re:Gen, Avison Young, Two plus Two, Stonbury, A&N Consultancy, McGhee Management, NEPO, Mako, Carney Consultancy, and Kore Health & Safety, who volunteered their time and expertise to deliver interactive workshops.

Throughout the morning, pupils rotated through practical challenges covering project management, health and safety, quantity surveying, retrofit, construction site management, civil engineering, digital construction and social value.

Activities included designing buildings using digital construction software, building model bridges, planning construction sites, solving health and safety scenarios, measuring and costing building projects, and exploring how retrofit and green technologies can improve social housing.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “It is brilliant to see girls thinking of a career in construction. They’re leading the way.

“Our future depends on a skilled and inclusive workforce, so it’s inspiring to see young women discovering the roles that will help build the homes our region needs.”

Angela Carney, Managing Director of Carney Consultancy, said: “It was a day full of energy and enthusiasm from the girls and the volunteers, in which we succeed in increasing their awareness of the array of careers on offer to girls in the construction industry.

“We started the day with none of the girls even thinking about in a career in construction and ended with half of them being interested now they have found out more, so to us that is a successful day.”

Rebecca Storey, the North East CTEC’s Regional Construction Skills Director, said: “The construction industry offers an incredible range of exciting and rewarding careers, but women remain significantly underrepresented across many areas of the sector.

“Events such as Girls in Construction are so important because they give young people the opportunity to discover the wide variety of roles available, meet inspirational professionals and see first-hand that construction is a career for everyone.

“We are incredibly grateful to all of our industry partners for sharing their expertise to help inspire the next generation of talent, break down barriers and create more opportunities for young people to develop the skills our region and industry need.”

The event forms part of a region-wide commitment to strengthen links between education and industry and introduce young people to the sector through engaging, real-world activities to raise aspirations and inspire the workforce of the future.

Nicola Dryden, Assistant Headteacher of Fulwell Juniors, said: “We always say that children can’t be what they can’t see, and today really opened the girls’ eyes to so many exciting opportunities that are available in the construction industry.

“The activities that were offered throughout the morning were really inspiring – thank you to everyone who was involved in organising such a successful event.”

Kate Burke, teacher at English Martyrs, added: “The Girls in Construction event was a fantastic opportunity for our Year 5 pupils to explore the wide range of careers available within the construction industry. Through hands-on activities including budgeting, interior design, trying on PPE and learning about health and safety, the girls were able to develop new skills, build confidence and challenge stereotypes about the sector.

‘It was inspiring to see their enthusiasm and engagement throughout the day.”