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Changing perceptions: construction is not just a bunch of men working on a site

L&Q site manager Leanne O’Donovan shares her journey into real estate and why she wants to see more women on construction sites.

The latest statistics show that only 15.8% of all construction workers in the UK are women. At L&Q, we’re doing slightly better, at 18.3%, but there is still more work to be done. 

I am part of that 18.3%, as the site manager at Greenwich Peninsula in south-east London. My site consists of two plots and will soon deliver 476 new homes, 70% affordable, across seven buildings of up to 30 storeys, with completion due in 2027. So quite a bit of work. But a few years ago, I didn’t even know that such a role was a career option for me.

Lack of awareness

I’ve been working for L&Q for five years now and I am very passionate about my job, but I didn’t always intend to work in construction.

Growing up, the only person in my family who was even somewhat connected to construction was my dad, who worked as a lorry driver. But at school it was never an industry option that was presented to me.

Later on in life, I did a property, investment and planning degree, but I didn’t really know exactly what I wanted to do after finishing. I got a work experience placement through L&Q, which was my first involvement with construction. I then applied for a graduate position, still with L&Q – I was successful in that role, and the rest is history.

When I began my work experience at L&Q I felt they were quite welcoming and that I naturally fitted in, compared with the other jobs I was going for at university, which were more corporate and strict. Instead, on site I felt I could be myself.

I don’t like sitting at my desk – I’m quite a practical and technical person, so I like to be out and about on site, seeing it all happen. 

Diverse role

My job involves many things and I am a big multitasker. Every day is different. I have to deal with a lot of customers, a lot of problem solving and a lot of interaction with different people across several teams. It’s also very fast-paced and I love the rush of it all.

It is also such a rewarding job, especially when I hand over homes that I’ve been working on for the best part of three years and see residents who really need that home move in. That makes all the work worth it. 

As 70% of the homes we are building at Greenwich Peninsula are affordable, my work is actually helping young people and families in need of a home to secure a place to call their own.

I am very fortunate that my working environment and my team are very inclusive. I’ve never been singled out for being a “woman in construction”; I’m just another member of the team. 

That does change, however, when I go into a meeting room with partners and customers – I’m surrounded by 20 men and I’m the only woman. That’s when it’s very hard to get your voice across. 

There is sometimes the misapprehension that the person who speaks the loudest is also right. For me, as a woman in that situation, it’s about earning respect outside the meeting room and demonstrating that I’ve done my job well and I’ve earned my seat at the table. So I come prepared with facts and I speak when my specific points need to be heard, and I think the others understand and respect that.

Spread the word

I see myself slowly going up the chain, getting better and better and learning more. There are so many opportunities at L&Q.

But things could have been very different had there not been that initial job opportunity with L&Q. At school our teachers never spoke about construction as a career option – especially not for girls. They talked about going to university and getting “a proper job”, as they called it. So, I started with architecture in mind and then slowly worked my way to construction.

I think there is a lot more that could be done at that level in school to encourage more people – and more girls in particular – into construction. The first step is very simple, and it is just talking about it, sharing more information and making sure it reaches everyone: boys and girls. When I was at school, I was not told about construction or working on site as a viable career path. 

You’re not told about apprenticeships or work experience or what opportunities there are, or even what the job involves. So you naturally assume that it’s just a bunch of men working on a site – which, in my experience, is not the case. 

That one week of work experience at L&Q completely changed my career aspirations after university, despite having spent five years studying and preparing for something else. If more information is out there, then that one woman can hopefully become 10, then 20, and so on. This has to be the way forward.

Leanne O’Donovan is a site manager at Greenwich Peninsula for L&Q

Photo © L&Q

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