SDC has launched BuildHer Ambition, a new network dedicated to supporting women in construction.
Founded in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, Munro Building Services, Demcom Ltd and Midland Scaffolding Services, the initiative aims to raise visibility, challenge outdated perceptions, and create more opportunities for women throughout the industry. SDC’s steering group representatives include Laura Saralli, Marketing Manager, Tom Fenner, Project Director, and Dan Changer, Board Director.
The network comes in response to the ongoing gender imbalance within construction. While the number of women entering the sector has increased, they accounted for just 15.2% of the UK construction workforce at the end of 2024 (The Office for National Statistics). Representation remains particularly low in manual, site-based and skilled trade roles, where women make up around 1-2% of the workforce, despite significant skills shortages in these areas.
BuildHer Ambition grew from conversations during SDC’s Women in Construction Week 2026, where industry professionals came together to discuss what the sector could do to encourage more young women to consider a career in construction.
One message stood out: people cannot aspire to careers they cannot see.
The network aims to change this by making career pathways more attainable, and increasing visibility for female role models across engineering, project management, surveying, commercial roles, design and skilled trades.
Through career talks, school assemblies, careers fairs and interactive skills-based workshops, young people will have the opportunity to explore the breadth of roles available within construction and meet women who are succeeding across the industry.
BuildHer Ambition will also support women already working in construction. Site visits, coffee mornings, and industry insight sessions will provide opportunities to build connections and strengthen peer support, helping women to develop their careers and relationships within the sector.
The network officially launched at Homerton College on Wednesday 9th September, bringing industry professionals together for an afternoon of speeches, networking and a clear call to action for the sector.
In attendance was keynote speaker, Bernadette Conroy, Chair of the Board of the Regulator of Social Housing, who highlighted the importance of addressing gender imbalance and widening the construction sector’s talent pool:
“Half the population are female and yet we are significantly underrepresented in this [the construction] industry. We need, on average, 41,000 new workers every single year to meet the demand. So why would any sector facing such a workforce challenge cut their talent pool in half…we’re not asking you to lower the bar, we are asking you to widen the gate”.
The launch marks the beginning of a collaborative network with a clear goal: to make construction a sector where women can connect, grow and ultimately lead.
To learn more, support the initiative, or get involved, please click the link below.
