In recognition of this year’s International Women’s Day, Vistry Group is highlighting the career opportunities which are opened up by the company’s training and progression schemes.

Employees Rosie Howard, Georgina McCrae, Bethany Dams and Bethany Waldron are just four examples of women who’ve climbed the ladder with Vistry Group – a company which comprises Linden Homes, Bovis Homes and Vistry Partnerships.

Based at Vistry’s East Midlands regional office in Peterborough – where women make up 42 per cent of the workforce – these four employees have all taken advantage of the training and support available within the company to nurture their career progress.

Rosie Howard, 42, joined the region in November 2020 as a trainee assistant site manager. After previously working as a customer care professional within the industry, she was keen to get involved with the construction side of housebuilding.

Rosie said: “I have been with Vistry for just over a year, and in that time, I have progressed from a trainee to a full assistant site manager. This is down to all the training and support I have been given, which includes eight training courses.

“Vistry is a great company offering lots of support and training with a fantastic equal opportunities policy, but what makes it a truly great place to work is the team around you.”

Over in the planning department, Georgina McCrae has also successfully progressed through the ranks since she first joined the company – which was then Galliford Try – in October 2014.

The 30-year-old started out on a two-year graduate scheme, and after completing the programme, worked as a planner for two years before being promoted to planning manager in 2019. Since then, Georgina has progressed to senior planning manager.

Georgina commented: “I decided to apply for the graduate scheme for the career prospects it offered. It was great as I was able to get involved and gain experience in a broad range of projects alongside completing my Royal Town Planning Institute accreditation.

“I’ve found the business to be very supportive as there’s always been an opportunity to grow and develop – it is very much you get out what you put in.

“The people and the opportunities make Vistry a great place to work. A lot of my colleagues have been in the business for a long time, and it is such a welcoming place to work alongside people who’re willing to share their knowledge and best practice.”

It is a similar story in the sales and marketing department, where Bethany Dams and Bethany Waldron are stationed.

Bethany Dams, 24, originally joined the business as a production assistant in November 2018, but later applied for the role of trainee sales consultant after seeing it advertised internally.

Despite having no previous sales experience, Bethany was offered the job which she started at the end of October 2021. She is currently working within the marketing department, learning behind the scenes about how customers are affected by Vistry’s internal marketing strategies.

Bethany said:

“Once I’ve completed a year within the marketing office, I’ll be moving out to the sales office to begin my own sales journey.

“The management and employees really make Vistry East Midlands shine. Everyone is approachable and I think that’s such a special quality to have.

“From my first day everyone was so welcoming, and you’d get help with anything you needed – and that’s still the case over three years later.”

Bethany Waldron, 26, joined the East Midlands office in October 2020 as a marketing assistant – and has since been promoted to marketing coordinator.

She said: “Before I started in this role, there were a few aspects of marketing which I had never done before, but my manager made sure I received the appropriate training and now these aspects have become part of my daily activities.

“When I started training for the role of marketing coordinator, I was shown new ways of reporting as well as managing suppliers and budgets. Within a year, I have already received a promotion and have been given more key responsibilities, which is really rewarding.”

“The reason I’ve stayed with the company is because Vistry is so invested in its employees. I’ve received a lot of training and support in this role which has helped to broaden my knowledge and helped me grow as an individual, which I’m very thankful for. I feel as though I have achieved more in the last year than I ever have in my previous jobs, and all achievements whether big or small do not go unnoticed.”

International Women’s Day, which is held on 8 March every year, is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, as well as a call to action for gender equality.

This year’s theme is Break The Bias, and as these women continue to rise through the ranks at Vistry East Midlands, they hope to break the bias about women working in construction.

Rosie, who primarily worked alongside women in her previous job, said: “Since being on site, I have always felt like part of the team and have been shown respect. When working in a male-dominated field, I think you’ve got to really believe in yourself, because if you don’t, it will almost be impossible to make others believe in you.

“If I had to give advice to other women thinking of working on a construction site, I would say go for it and don’t let other people’s opinions stop you from achieving your goals.”

Georgina added: “I’ve never found being a woman in the industry to be an obstacle. Each department is well-represented by women, and it’s been good to see this expand into the production and site teams over recent years.”

The same goes for the sales and marketing department too.

Bethany Waldron said: “It was quite daunting at first entering a male-dominated industry, but it was really refreshing to see how many strong, talented women there are across all departments – from land, technical to construction. We are all equally praised and have the same opportunities for growth which is very encouraging.”

Bethany Dams added: “I feel proud to tell people I am a woman working in the housing industry. My parents have their own carpentry business, and I believe that’s why working within the construction sector didn’t faze me when I applied for the job back in 2019.

“It’s really nice to see that there are so many other talented women working within our business unit who are all excelling in their roles.”

Vistry East Midlands offers a range of jobs at all levels, from apprentices and graduates to senior management roles.

For more information about careers with Vistry Group, visit vistrygroup.co.uk