On Wednesday 7 February, members of the home building industry came together to mark the first year of the successful Women into Home Building programme.

The programme was developed by the Home Builders Federation (HBF), in partnership with Women into Construction and nine major home builders. It aims to create more opportunities for women to gain the skills and knowledge to begin a career in site management, whilst diversifying the home building workforce.

The Women into Home Building programme Impact Report was also released at the event and provides insight into the challenges, achievements and feedback gained from participants and employers.

Since its launch in January 2023, the Women into Home Building initiative has engaged with 160 women, provided in-depth support to 69 women and supported 47 women to complete its three-week scheme. Participants gained invaluable knowledge and experience in site management, paving the way for positive change and inclusivity in site management roles.

Victoria Anthony, Chair of the Women into Home Building Programme and Group HR Director at The Hill Group, said: “There are still challenges that we need to address if we want to change the face of home building to become more diverse as well as address skills shortages.

“I look forward to increasing awareness of the programme and opportunities to develop rewarding careers”.

Building on the success of the first year, the 2024 programme will launch in March. Participants interested in applying can find further information on the Women into Construction website. Although employer participation in this year's project has concluded, we encourage organisations to engage in the HBF Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group to influence future initiatives.