The construction industry is one of the UK’s biggest and most valuable sectors, providing around 10% of the country's annual GDP and worth an estimated £1.5 billion.

It employs about 1.4 million people yet only around 9 - 13% of these workers are female. And only 1.2% of onsite construction workers are female so there is certainly room for achievement. 

With a passion for construction and an unrivalled enthusiasm to succeed in a stereotypically male industry, Lin Lavender has achieved her goal to work on site for a premium-quality housebuilder.

She has been promoted to Assistant Site Manager at David Wilson Homes South Midlands, making her the first female Site Manager in the division’s history.

Lin, who comes from Morton in Lincolnshire, had previously been working as a Sales Adviser for David Wilson Homes South Midlands, but had always wanted to progress to Site Manager. She decided that she needed to build up her academic profile in terms of construction work, and worked tirelessly over a six year period to gain three separate qualifications in the construction industry.

She started by doing a part-time BTEC in Construction, whilst going to night school to become a member of the Chartered Institute of Building Site Managers, and then did a three-year foundation degree course in Construction Management.

“I felt like I had to prove that I was serious about construction. You don’t see many women leading on this side of the business, but it’s exactly where I wanted to be. I’m so happy to be given the opportunity to do what I love for such a well-respected developer, and I look forward to seeing many more women in my position in the future” says Lin.