Women into home building

The Women into Home Building programme is delivered in three cohorts over an 18-month period.

Each cohort is delivered over three weeks, starting with insight week.

During insight week successful candidates will take part in online learning sessions to provide context on the role and training. This is followed by a two-week work placement at an employer site.

At the end of the three-week period, candidates are supported to apply for live vacancies offered by participating employers and the wider industry.

No. As it stands this programme has been designed to focus on Site Management positions. Our aim is to change the culture and dynamics on site and increasing the representation of women in leadership positions support this. Additionally, there is a shortage of skilled Site Managers therefore strengthening the case to focus on this profession.

Women into Home Building is delivered across England, Wales and Scotland, with work placements taking place in a range of locations depending on employer opportunities.

Employers need to be a member of HBF and a member of Women into Construction to take part in the scheme.

Large home builders are required to sponsor a minimum of three candidates per programme. This could be one per cohort or split in any combination across the 3 cohorts of the programme. The sponsorship covers training, work placements on your sites and supporting costs such as PPE, travel and childcare as appropriate.

SME home builders must sponsor a minimum of one opportunity per programme.

For more information on becoming a sponsor, including associated costs, contact Project and Contacts Manager, Tracey Hill at tracey.hill@hbf.co.uk or the Home Building Skills Partnership Team at skillspartnership@hbf.co.uk

The primary benefit of taking part in the Women into Home Building programme is that it will strengthen your talent pool with a range of underrepresented candidates who, at the end of the programme, will be employment ready. All candidates are eligibility checked as part of the onboarding experience, ensuring you are matched with eligible talent.

Taking part in the programme will increase your brand visibility as your involvement will be detailed as part of each cohort’s six-week promotional campaign for each cohort. This includes inclusion on an employer profile page in the programme’s brochure and being part of broader communications activity delivered by HBF and Women into Construction.

Each candidate you sponsor will take part in five days of online training to give them an insight into home building and the role of a Site Manager. This is in addition to a two-week work placement at a site-based location of your choice, shadowing the site management team.

Throughout their time on the programme, candidates will get 1-2-1 support from the Women into Construction team, including help with childcare and transport costs whilst on placement. They will also receive personal development sessions to help them apply for a trainee role in the industry, post-placement.

If you would like to take part in future programmes, please get in touch with Project and Contacts Manager, Tracey Hill at tracey.hill@hbf.co.uk or the Home Building Skills Partnership Team at skillspartnership@hbf.co.uk

No, this is not an employment scheme therefore employers do not have to guarantee candidates a job at the end of the programme.

However, one of the aims of the programme is to connect prospective talent with employers therefore we do encourage employers to consider candidates for future roles.

A number of candidates who have successfully completed the programme have gone on to secure a job at the end of their placement.

Yes. Our aspiration is to support more women into site management roles.

If you have live vacancies that you would be interested in considering previous programme participants for, please get in touch with Women into Construction’s Director of Business Development, Jacqui Wordsworth,jacqui.wordsworth@women-into-construction.org.