This National Apprenticeship Week, Georgia Harper looks ahead to a career in construction with a new found confidence gained through her apprenticeship with Caddick Construction.
Having dreamt of a hard hat career in construction since she was a child, Trainee Site Engineer Georgia Harper (22) is now closing the chapter on a successful apprenticeship programme, which has seen her work across construction sites in the North West with Caddick Construction.
In her short time with Caddick – joining in Feb 2021 – Georgia already has a number of training initiatives under her belt, invaluable hands-on experience as well as being listed in the National Federation of Builders (NFB) top 100 influential women in construction, and welcoming two nominations for ‘one to watch’ and ‘unsung hero’.
Georgia comments: “It was truly amazing being nominated for the awards. I still can’t believe I’m working in the industry I love through my apprenticeship; it makes me proud everyday. I’d definitely recommend the apprenticeship route to anyone who is looking to get a foot in the door; it’s been so rewarding for me. The experience I’ve gained has been second to none, especially in comparison to my university counterparts. I’m gaining so much more hands-on experience than I would sat at a desk 5 days a week.”
Georgia left sixth-form in 2019 and was encouraged into an Urban Studies and Planning degree, which she soon discovered was not the right route for her. Realising she needed more of a hands-on approach, she then pursued her apprenticeship with Caddick..
Being one of few women on site, Georgia commented: “I do wish there were more female role models on site. You often find that women in the industry lean towards office-based roles, whether that’s design and architecture or administration – but women are perfect for this job!
“When I was a young girl at primary school, I would often ask my dad if I could go to work with him delivering aggregate to building sites. It was here really that my early passions for construction were set alight. I loved to see all the different jobs going on around me, bringing such a huge build to life. I’d just think to myself, “this is amazing!” I’m thankful that I’ve had family to help me find my passion but it’s harder for girls without family links to see construction as an option for them. That’s why it’s really important to me to help drive change regarding the industry’s demographic.
“With my work at Caddick, I’ve been invited into schools and colleges to speak to the students about what it is we do. When I was studying, I was one of three girls on my course. Now, there’s more of a 50/50 split in those classrooms, and it’s so great to see the next wave of women in construction coming through.”
Georgia continues: “In the average week, I’m on site with Caddick four days with one day dedicated to my college studies. A lot of the work we do on site is for the groundwork. It’s always great to think that none of the final build would be possible without our initial infrastructure. I love the team on site, but we’re constantly meeting new faces too and working with new trades everyday, from drainage to foundations packages.”
“Having that real life experience definitely gives me a step up in the industry that I needed, from my role now there are loads of progression routes. In the coming year I will be moving on to complete my ENGTech with the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE). One day, I’d love to be the main engineer on my own site – hopefully one day that dream can be a reality”.
