Last updated 16:03, Wednesday, 24 September 2008

CONSTRUCTION is the United Kingdom’s biggest industry, with two million people already at work in more than 700 different types of jobs.

READY FOR ACTION: Construction Student Angela Kendrick, ready to carry on her training

There are endless opportunities to develop skills and abilities once in the industry, and the demand for new people will always be there.

But is the construction industry a place for women?

Angela Kendrick thinks so. She has just completed a construction-related courses at Lakes College and is planning on making her mark in the industry.

Mother-of-two Angela is due to start a foundation degree in construction at Furness College in Barrow, with the hope of either studying structural engineering, architecture or quantity surveying at Lancaster University.

But her enjoyment from building, making and fixing things has proved a life time passion for the 30-year-old.

“I have had my own house for the last 11 years and I have always had an interest in plumbing, electrics and DIY,” Angela said. “I’ve always done my own jobs around the house and that interest in practical things and working with my hands was always there.

“But I wanted to be able to do more and learn how to fix and build things professionally so I had thought about doing a building course at college.

“But working as a chef and looking after two children made me think I wouldn’t have time to study.

“I came to the conclusion that if I didn’t do it now, I never would. So I began learning and training with Lakes College back in 2004.

“Initially, I enrolled on a two-year painting and decorating course. And when I completed the first year I became accredited with an FCA – a foundation construction award. Similarly, after I completed the second year I was awarded an ICA – an intermediate construction award.

“I really enjoyed it and the course was very interesting as it was so broad and the skills we came away with were really varied, such as learning how make a surface look marbled and different wood graining techniques.

“We were taught the basics of the trade, from health and safety and hanging paper, but we also took courses in scaffolding in case we needed that to help us at some point.”

Confident in her accomplishment and her new-found love of learning, Angela went on to take a joinery course which also lasted two years.

Within that course Angela gained knowledge in woodwork skills and produced a variety of project pieces including a door with windowpanes in it, a door frame, skirting boards and even roof trusses.

She said: “What I learned in those two years was unbelievable. I came away with so much knowledge and skills in joinery – I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Although Angela, from Hensingham, Whitehaven, was the only female student on the course, it didn’t put her off following her dream.

“I certainly was apprehensive about being the only female; in fact, I think the blokes on the course were more scared of me, partly because I was much older than them.

“We all worked together to help each other out; I wasn’t so good on computers so the younger ones helped me with that when it came to taking an IT module in the course.

“But the support in general was brilliant at Lakes College.

“I definitely think more women should consider construction as a career – there’s no reason why women can’t do the job as well as men do it.

“Attitudes are starting to change now and I firmly believe there’s no such thing as a stereotypical male industry.”