Women in construction: 'I want to drive a digger for my granddaughter'

Rachel McKeeman from CITB NI on a site with trainee Valerie Gibb

Construction work is generally a man's world - but women like 55-year-old Valerie Gibb are hoping to build something new.

The County Antrim woman is training to drive heavy machinery such as forklifts and diggers to show her granddaughter that it's a job women can do too.

She worked in admin at her family roofing business but is now grafting for an industry recognised certification, which will allow her a role on the shop floor rather than in the office.

There were fewer than 6,000 women employed in the construction sector in 2021, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

That's compared to more than 31,000 men - meaning women make up just 16% of workers.

Ms Gibb is part of a group who are looking to bulldoze those statistics.

She is one of 12 on the Women in Construction plant operator programme, run by Construction Industry Training Board Northern Ireland (CITB NI).

"We have a varied age range from young to middle aged and older, and we all gel amazingly," she said.

"At the start, I was petrified. I kept thinking of every way to back out of it but I was pushed constantly by our company and went forward with it."

Once the course is finished, Ms Gibb will use her qualifications to swap her desk job for more manual work at her family firm.

And she is focused on making her family proud.

"My two-year-old granddaughter gets so excited every time she sees plant machinery, she just can't wait to tell you all about it," she explained.

"So seeing her, I thought if she wants to do this I need to take a step forward for her, I need to be that generation that makes it easier for her to come along."

'Exhilarating'

Rachel McKeeman, from CITB NI, said that programmes like the one Ms Gibb is on help break those stereotypes about construction being a man-only sector.

"It's important for people like Valerie and the other 11 women we have on this programme to start a new career in construction, consider a career change, and also to encourage future generations into the industry."

The Women in Construction plant operator programme is a pilot scheme but CITB NI aims to run it again.

"The first part of this pilot was an open day and it was a great opportunity for those ladies to have a go on plant machinery and experience how easy it is to drive," Ms McKeeman explained.

"Following that we were inundated with applications to come onto the programme. We selected 12 to start their training in plant machinery."

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Ms Gibb said getting behind the wheel of a digger was "exhilarating".

"I've always wanted to drive machinery. I grew up in a generation when it wasn't a woman's thing and I want to be able to change that."

The course lasts for two weeks and after that the women will be able to go out on the site alongside their male colleagues.

For Ms Gibb, donning the hard hat at her company is a big step.

"I think it's going to be a bit petrifying at the beginning but with the support that I've got I think I can do it - I can manage to forge on and I'm looking forward to it."