WOMEN and minority-gender construction students from across Scotland recently completed the Balfour Beatty Equate Scotland ConStructEd programme in partnership with ConStructEd Scotland.
32 students from 13 further and higher education establishments across Scotland completed the programme, hosted at the Sibbald Training Centre in Blackridge, West Lothian, developing their practical and employability skills through working as a team to build two working wind turbines and a bridge structure.
The students undertook several construction roles during the three-day programme, including setting out, managing excavating, designing the electrics, steel fixing, laying the concrete and building the powerhouse. The students were responsible for taking on all the onsite roles with the support of the onsite mentors.
The programme was hosted by Balfour Beatty as industry partner of Equate Scotland’s ConStructEd programme and supported as part of the Balfour Beatty Value Everyone Regional Scotland strategy to engage female construction students and increase the number of female staff within Balfour Beatty by 50% by 2030.
Bethany Walsh, social impact manager, said, “We are incredibly proud of the success of the Balfour Beatty Equate Scotland ConStructEd programme, giving talented women and minority-gender construction students the opportunity to develop their practical skills.
 “The enthusiasm and talent displayed by the students is truly inspiring, and we look forward to seeing their continued contributions in the future to a diverse industry.”
