Hopkins Homes offers Suffolk women the chance to launch a career in home building

Hopkins Homes is encouraging women in Suffolk to apply for site management experience as part of the latest Women into Home Building (WiHB) programme.

The housebuilder is offering a three-week work placement at its Chediston Place development in Halesworth to introduce industry leadership careers to local women.

Women interested in a rewarding career change are encouraged to apply to this fully-funded programme, with a closing date of September 21.

Kirsty Newman, a previous participant of the WiHB programme, said: “The placement was a brilliant opportunity to ‘get my foot in the door’ of the construction industry. The most rewarding aspect was the continuous learning experience. I was able to absorb a wealth of knowledge from my colleagues, both through training and discussions.  Everyone was incredibly welcoming and supportive.”

The funded three-week programme includes an initial week of online training and insight sessions, followed by a two-week work experience placement.  The programme also offers contributions towards travel and childcare costs.

Developed by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) in collaboration with leading regional and national home builders, the initiative seeks to expand the talent pipeline and foster gender diversity within site management.

Duncan Jackson, Regional Managing Director for untypical’s Anglian region said: “We are proud to work alongside the HBF once again to break down barriers to entry and empower more women into construction. We strongly believe in working towards gender parity within housebuilding, and this scheme is one way we can promote this for the industry.”

Since its launch in January 2023, WiHB has supported more than 100 candidates, leading to more than 30 candidates gaining employment within the industry. This latest programme will offer 45 placements in total.

Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive at HBF, said: “At a time where the Government’s housing ambitions require an increased workforce, initiatives such as the WiHB programme are significant and extremely valuable. It is great to see that untypical is bringing opportunities to local women in Suffolk.”

The application window closes at midnight on Sunday, September 21. Those interested are encouraged to apply at HBF.co.uk/WIHB.