CCI’s Women in Construction project wins national award

The Centre for Construction Innovation North West and ConstructionSkills have won the national award for Best Training Scheme for the Women in Construction project, at this year's annual Women in Construction awards.

Held at the Palace Hotel in Manchester, the awards celebrated the achievements of women and companies actively working to include women in a traditionally male dominated industry.

Managed by CCI within Salford University's school of the built environment, and based in Manchester's Cube gallery, the Women in Construction project helps encourage women to work in construction, but also to help women already working in the sector to get further training in order to develop their careers.

Lisa Worrall, project manager at CCI, said: "I would like to thank our team and our funding partners on the project, ConstructionSkills. This project relies on collaborative working with a number of partners in the industry, as well as hard work, commitment and raw energy and enthusiasm – it is therefore rewarding that the team has been recognised on a national platform in this way."

The judges commended the project for providing 'many years of exceptional support, funding, championing diversity and women in particular.'

ConstructionSkills has secured further funding of £525,000 for the fourth cycle of the project which is set to run from April 2010 to March 2011.

Sunrita Dhar-Bhattacharjee, also project manager at CCI, added: "A more diverse workforce facilitated by this initiative will help in breaking down gender prejudice and improve the culture of the industry for women who work within it. The recognition of programmes, such as Women & Work: Sector Pathways initiative [of which Women in Construction is part], aid in the growth and advancement of a change. The timing couldn't have been better with the forthcoming Equalities Bill."