Women in Construction Week takes place during the first full week in March every year and celebrates and promotes the role of women in the industry.
by Rory Butler / March 8, 2023
To encourage more women into the sector, Kerri McGarrigle, who is a senior stakeholder and community engagement manager at Skanska, talks about life at the company, her work on the A46 Newark Bypass scheme, and ‘preconceptions around women working in construction’.
‘Not about men and women anymore’
“I think there’s lots of preconceptions about women in construction and construction settings,” said Kerri. “When I joined my previous employer, and then Skanska, I was initially a little bit nervous, [thinking] ‘Am I going to be prepared for what’s expected of me and am I going to be up to the standard they expect?’ Because it’s not about men and women anymore, it’s about being able to perform at a high level.”
‘I do feel like an equal’
“As soon as I joined the team, I felt I was part of them already and I very quickly built up those really great relationships with everybody here. I do feel like an equal. I feel this is a company that allows me to thrive in what I’m doing and where I want to be. I wanted to be part of something that was going to do something different and have a really good and positive impact – not just on the town of Newark, but schemes right across the UK.”
‘Leave a legacy’
She added: “That’s part of what I really want to get out of my career, is to leave a legacy. You’ll start working on one bit, it’ll evolve into something else that you never would’ve imagined but you’re going to be part of the ride for that – and you might even be part of the team that devises something new and innovative. How exciting would that be? To look back and say, ‘I did that’.”
Listen to Kerri’s full story here.
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