Thursday the 23rd of June is International Women in Construction Day!
Have a look at what our Planning Engineer, Donna Williamson had to say in this short interview:
1 – Tell us about your current role
As a planning engineer, my role is to determine and develop the most suitable and economically viable construction and engineering methods for projects, using industry-specific planning tools. My role is to be involved throughout the development stages and to remain present on-site during the build to oversee procedures, and I’ve been working on Data Centre builds for the past 4years in different European countries. I have got to work with some of the world’s best teams and I’m truly grateful for the experiences I’ve had to date.
2 – What motivated you to get into a career within construction/engineering?
I started my role as a full-time planner in projects in London, seven years ago coming from a Project Management background, in particular resource and asset management, in the construction field. I enjoyed the specialized niche of focused development, and I have a very natural analytical, critical, and logical thinking skill set. I set my sights on learning more about planning, and landing roles within the industry, it’s been a slow road, but I thank the people in my career path for recognizing my determination.
3 – Have you noticed much change within the industry in recent years?
From a full integration perspective. Construction software is expected to change and already has, in our industry. More specifically, it has managed to empower the whole construction process by ameliorating the communication between the different parties involved in a project. One of the elements that have made construction software so indispensable has to do with the fact that it allows for the real-time exchange of information between the various project contractors, agents, and stakeholders. This means a significant decrease in budget miscalculations and task delays.
4 – What would you hope to see in the future for women in construction?
Despite stereotypes, those women who choose this career path, really enjoy it. Thanks to the growth of women in this field, the construction environment becomes more diverse, safe, and supportive for all employees, leading to changes in the workplace. These small steps make the difference, gradually changing existing attitudes and recruiting more women into trades. It’s really refreshing to see.
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