At Elkins we’re passionate about addressing the gender imbalance that exists in the construction industry and actively encourage women to apply for our apprenticeships, job vacancies and training opportunities. While it’s thought that only 16% of jobs in the construction industry are held by women*, at Elkins, women make up over 40% of our workforce, with many holding high level managerial positions in the business.
We sat down with Ayesha Wright to discuss her career at Elkins, from starting out as a Resident Liaison Officer working on site, to her current role as our Social Value Manager.
How did you come to work at Elkins?
Back in 2012, I was a resident of Southwark and attended one of Southwark Council’s careers fairs. There were a number of contractors in attendance on the day, including Elkins, and I had the opportunity to meet and chat with some of them about the career opportunities available.
Elkins was looking for an apprentice Resident Liaison Officer at the time, as part of their commitment to Southwark Council to employ local people in the borough. When I was told about the ethos of the business and its traditional family values, I knew that it was a place I’d like to work. Clearly my instinct was right, as I’m still here 10 years later! While the company has grown significantly in that time, it has remained true to the values that first drew me to work here.
What have you learnt during your time at Elkins?
I came to Elkins with no construction experience, in fact I had never even heard of a Resident Liaison Officer before! During my year as an apprentice RLO I learnt a lot about how the job works and also completed an NVQ level 3 in Customer Service.
I ended up working on site for four years, delivering a huge variety of different projects for Southwark and gaining a lot of technical knowledge. As an RLO, I was responsible for delivering community initiatives and, as a previous apprentice, I was often asked to accompany the Partnering and Apprenticeship Manager at school careers fairs and other events during this time. This is what first sparked my interest in delivering Social Value and made me keen to become more involved in this part of Elkins’ work.
In 2016, I was asked to join the estimating department at Elkins’ head office. I had no experience of procurement but was excited to learn about a different area of the business and keen to develop new skills. I soon discovered that much of what I’d learnt as an RLO was transferable to my new role, and I quickly progressed to become Bid-Coordinator, using the organisational skills I’d developed, which had been so essential in delivering projects successfully on site.
When did you start to get more involved in Elkins’ social value work?
In December 2018, the Partnering and Apprenticeship Manager left the business and, as I had accompanied her on many occasions, assisted in delivering community initiatives and had a good understanding of client KPI requirements, I was offered the opportunity to take on the position.
For some time, I carried out this role alongside my Bid-Coordinator role and this ended up evolving into a new position combining the two – Continuous Improvement Coordinator. As the company has grown and our capacity to take on more projects adding social value to our clients and local communities has increased, my role has expanded and evolved into my current position as Social Value Manager.
What’s your favourite thing about your job?
My current role as Social Value Manager is the one I’ve enjoyed the most, not only at Elkins, but since I started my career at 16. I am genuinely committed to delivering meaningful social value, as I’ve seen and experienced first-hand the difference it can make. Being able to play a key part in opening up opportunities to local people that they may not have had otherwise (in the same way it did for me), and changing communities for the better, by improving local spaces and bringing residents together, is incredibly rewarding.
*The House of Commons Library’s ‘Women and the Economy’ paper
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