As well as visiting the site office and active building site, the potential construction recruits had the opportunity to speak with the site team about the different careers in the industry, the variety of routes into the sector, and their path to working with us.
With a range of trade, technical and commercial apprenticeships coming soon across the business, our eighth apprenticeship report revealed that perceptions of the industry are changing, with three in five (66%) young women already work in, have considered working in or are open to working in construction, up 17% from 2023.
The survey of 1,000 young adults found that it’s not just the potential high salary young women find appealing (39%), but also the opportunity to have a long-term career (26%) and the ability to set up their own business later down the line (25%).
The increase in women entering the sector could be attributed to a rise in female role models. In fact, over two fifths (42%) of women surveyed want to work for a company that has female or LGBTQ leaders. With financial fears a big worry for everyone, two in five (41%) 16–24-year-olds associate an apprenticeship with earning money while studying and not incurring student debt, highlighting the unbeatable financial benefit of this alternative educational route.
In 2020, over two fifths (44%) of young people believed a career in construction was dominated by men. In 2024 this is now 39%, with just under a third (32%) of those surveyed admitting they’ve considered a career in construction.
When it comes to choosing this industry, it’s clear it is about much more than just earning a great wage. Young people surveyed think a career in construction offers the opportunity for gaining skills from a variety of roles.
Ben Fewsdale, managing director for our South East division, said: “We are always keen to build partnerships with local charities, groups and schools to demonstrate the wealth of different roles in the construction sector and here at Redrow. We were really pleased to welcome young adults from Amber Foundation this apprenticeship week, alongside our announcement of a new tranche of apprenticeships across the region. Apprenticeships are a fantastic route into the construction sector for people no matter their age, given the opportunity to gain industry-recognised qualifications alongside on-the-job learning, all whilst getting paid. Our recent apprenticeship report finds that they are gaining popularity, demonstrating the progress that has been made. It’s great to see more people recognising the value of apprenticeships in providing solid career pathways for people and the ability to start earning money earlier in their careers. Amber was a joy to host at Crown Hill View, it was great to see everyone so engaged in the tour and keen to find out more about working in the sector. We’re looking forward to working with the charity again in the future.”
Pippa Weatherstone, Service Manager at Amber Foundation, adds: “We were delighted to visit Redrow’s Crown Hill View development. With the site so close to our centre in Ashford, it is a great opportunity for our young people to see how a construction site is managed and talk about potential careers in the industry. We are grateful for the invite and look forward to more collaboration in the future.”
Set within easy reach of the thriving town of Ashford, and all of the amenities and fantastic transport links on offer, Crown Hill View will comprise of over 100 premium, energy efficient homes, with future phases in planning.
Each home is heated by an air source heat pump and comes with underfloor heating as standard on the ground floor, helping to lower customer’s energy footprint. With the first residents expected to be welcomed from this spring, we have just unveiled a brand new four bedroom Oxford show home at Crown Hill View, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, and a dedicated Customer Experience Suite.
In April, we will launch a three bedroom detached Leamington Lifestyle and a four bedroom detached Ledsham show home. To find out more about the brand new community, please visit our website.
To find out more about the careers on offer at Redrow, including how to kick-start your career as an apprentice, please visit our dedicated careers page.
