The event, which was the first of its kind, saw several female pupils from Mary Russell, Paisley Grammar, Linwood, Trinity and Castlehead High Schools  get involved in practical construction sessions and activities in joinery, electrical and bricklaying skills at West College Scotland’s Renfrew Road Workshops on Tuesday 1 March.

Michael Moran, Assistant Manager for Council Employability Programmes commented, ‘This collaborative event was organised as part of Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Week 2016. Renfrewshire Council’s MA programme has been working with a range of local partners, including West College Scotland, Renfrewshire's High Schools and Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce, to encourage young women to apply for craft and construction places.’

Andy Corbett, Construction Curriculum and Quality Leader said, ‘The rationale behind this event was that for some time there has been a significant gender gap in terms of young females accessing craft and construction apprenticeships, with the vast majority of places taken up by young men. So, to encourage young women to apply for craft and construction this joint venture between the local authority and the College was put into place.’

This collaborative venture has highlighted the considerable range of careers available to young women within the construction industry and the wide range of opportunities that will be available over the next few years due to large projects such as the Glasgow City Deal. The City Deal is an agreement between the UK government, the Scottish Government and local authorities across Glasgow on how the region will create economic growth.

Feedback from all of the pupils was very positive, with almost all noting that the sessions have encouraged them to actively consider pursuing a career within construction or engineering.