To mark International Women’s Day (8^th March), Barratt Homes is celebrating one of its newest apprentices who is forging a career in construction at The Hawthorns development in Mansfield.

Bethany Wallis (29) joined the housebuilder as an apprentice joiner in September 2024 after making a bold career change from working as a receptionist.

Her journey into the industry began with a ‘Women in Trade’ taster day, hosted by her local council, an event that introduced her to the world of construction and ultimately led her to apply for an apprenticeship with Barratt Homes.

Bethany said: “I was looking for a job that wasn’t behind a computer, and my younger sister sent me a link to the taster day after hearing about it at college.

“We toured a timber frame factory, and I saw that half of the employees on the factory floor were women. That made me feel like I could do it too. I ended up working in that factory for a year before applying to Barratt Homes to gain my site carpentry qualification.”

Working alongside two experienced joiners, Bethany has quickly gained hands-on experience in both first and second fix carpentry, learning to build stud walls and complete finishing touches like architraves and skirting boards.

Reflecting on her achievements so far, she added: “I’m most proud of how far I’ve come. I started with no experience, and now I’m trusted to work independently on-site. In my previous role, I never imagined I’d be learning how to operate an overhead crane or drive a forklift, but I’ve pushed past my doubts and proven to myself that I can do it.”

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, #AccelerateAction, focuses on the urgency of breaking down barriers and biases that prevent women from advancing in their careers.

While Bethany acknowledges that construction is still seen as a male-dominated field, she believes progress is being made.

She said: “The industry is changing, and there are more women working on-site now as site managers, truck drivers, bricklayers, and joiners. That said, for many of us on my course, we are still the only female ‘tradies’ on-site.

“When I was at school, the only pathway that I saw as an option were A-Levels and then university. I also had no idea about what job I wanted to do. I didn’t get to know about the different trades and whether it would be something I would enjoy, and it wasn’t something that a lot of girls would gravitate towards.

“Of course, it has been a while since I was at school, and I can see how things have improved with how my sister learnt about the taster day during her A-Levels.

“That’s why it’s so important for young girls to learn about different career paths early on and to see role models in the industry.”

Bethany praised Barratt and David Wilson Homes for its commitment to increasing female representation in construction, with the company hiring more female apprentices than in previous years and creating an all-female college cohort to provide extra support.

She added: “My site managers have been very supportive, and the other trades on-site have been great too.

“I’d encourage any woman thinking about a career in construction to go for it. If you have doubts like I did about whether you can handle the job because you are a woman, then don’t hold yourself back or let that become a barrier to you.

“Anyone can do it if you are willing to learn, put in the work and look after yourself physically and mentally.”

For more information about apprenticeships at Barratt Homes, visit the website at Barratt Redrow Careers.

To find out more about The Hawthorns, visit the website or call the Barratt Homes sales team on 033 3355 8472. Alternatively, for homes available across the county go to Barratt Homes in Nottinghamshire.