Cheshire-based David Wilson Homes is celebrating the work that has been done to push for equality with more opportunities for women in the construction industry.

Claire Jarvis, who was originally born in Scotland, is the Managing Director of David Wilson Homes North West and is helping to lead the industry away from the perception of it being male-dominated.

Claire said: "There are so many great opportunities and careers available in construction, and we need to do more collectively as an industry to encourage young girls to consider these options.

"My advice to those starting their career would be not to let anything or anyone dishearten you. There will be many challenges along the way, but if you believe in yourself and you are prepared to put the effort in to develop yourself, you will succeed."

Claire grew up on new housing developments in the North East and North West of England, which sparked her interest in the industry.

She continued: "The main challenge I found was not having any female role models in certain roles and not seeing those leadership figures I could aspire to and understand their journey.

"There weren't any development or mentoring programmes at the time, specifically for women in construction. I don't look back on it negatively, but I think we've come a long way since then.

"Another challenge I've faced in my career is finding PPE to fit, as I'm quite small! I used to put on a hi-vis vest on site and it would be down to my knees, and I could never find safety boots small enough. Again, that's improved in recent few years, thankfully."

Claire's expertise in the construction sector first started in a Sales Negotiator role at Bellway Homes, followed by a range of alternative sales and management roles with Hamptons International, Knight Frank, Crosby Homes and Persimmon Homes.

Prior to joining David Wilson Homes in July 2023, she was the Managing Director of Redrow Lancashire and one of a handful of female housing chiefs in the UK's private housing sector.

Claire continued: "I don't perceive construction to be a male-dominated industry. We just need more females in senior roles and as role models.

"There are plenty of roles available, but the issue is a lack of awareness of them. We need to keep trying to find new ways to inspire the younger generation by targeting social media platforms and using other relevant communication tools.

"One thing we're passionate about at Barratt Redrow is our school outreach programme, which is designed to educate young people about construction from an early age."

As a fantastic role model for young women, Claire prides herself on being inclusive in her management and leadership style and encourages her team to treat others with respect and professionalism.

Having proven it's possible to work at many levels and reach a senior leadership role, she's developed a real understanding of the different demands within the sector, which allows her to be empathetic and supportive.

Claire is the Chair of our Barratt Developments' Central Region Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

More recently, she was among Barratt Redrow's employees visiting OnSide's Warrington Youth Zone following the launch of a national partnership with the charity.

OnSide builds state-of-the-art multi-million-pound youth centres (called Youth Zones) in the most economically disadvantaged areas of the UK.

Claire was on hand to provide an insight into the construction industry, whilst discovering how the generous grant of £300,000 will be essential in enabling the current Youth Zones to continue their life-changing support, empowering thousands of young people to thrive.

The theme of this year's International Women's Day is #AccelerateAction. At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158 to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum.

Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasises the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.

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