Women are showing it’s no longer just a man’s world on the building sites of West Norfolk, with a high proportion of females gaining Higher National Certificates (HNC) in Construction, at the College of West Anglia. Local company Lovell had two female employees graduate at this year’s CWA graduation ceremony, in King’s Lynn. Katie Pointer was one of those and said: “My employers at Lovell put me through the HNC course as I was originally working for them as an administrator and have since changed to a trainee estimator. I actually live in Norwich and commute once a week but it’s been worth it as the tutors at CWA are really supportive.” Hannah Hewitt, also works at Lovell and has worked her way up through the BTEC Level 3 at CWA, to now studying a Higher National Diploma (HND). She said: “My dad’s a builder and ever since I was a little girl I used to help him. I chose CWA as it is a well-known as a respected college in this industry. I have always wanted to get into the profession and I am really enjoying it.” Lovell construction manager Michael Saunders said: “Encouraging talented people like Hannah and Katie into our business and helping them build careers is absolutely essential to the continuing success both of our company and the wider industry. It’s fantastic to see them succeeding and getting their qualifications. “The construction industry has definitely changed; nowadays it offers women a host of exciting and challenging careers. That’s a message we’re keen to communicate to encourage more girls and women to consider working in construction. It’s a business where you can really make a difference. At Lovell, we have women working across the company planning, designing, and building new homes in communities.” HNC graduate Laura Palmer says the stereotype of men in construction is becoming a thing of the past. She said she felt that having a female tutor, Jane Burton, also made a big difference. Laura added: “My fiancé works in construction as a site manager and I thought it would be a good way of us working together in the future. You’ve just got to go for it. If you want it, you can’t let the fact that this is a predominantly male profession put you off. I attended an interview at the college and the tutors were so supportive of my career choice that I instantly knew I could work with them and achieve my goals.” Paige Miles said she wasn’t put off by any comments she received. She said: “I studied the HNC to further my career as an architectural technician at Ian H Bix Associates, in West Winch. I was encouraged to continue on with my studies at CWA by my tutors. I didn’t want to move away to university so this allowed me to further my career whilst staying at home and get myself a house at the same time.”