A love of heights led to a successful career on site for Charlotte

In the second of our series of articles that look at women in construction, we turn the spotlight onto Charlotte Collins, a project manager with Tilia Homes, who talks about her career path, inspiration and advice to others.

A love of heights and a desire to be a roofer saw Charlotte embark on a career that now finds her leading on a construction site, helping to deliver much-needed new homes.

Charlotte readily admits that at a young age she saw work being done on the roof of her home and decided that she wanted to be a roofer - she liked heights, it looked exciting, and the radio was on, so it looked fun.

She left school and completed construction qualifications, including a roofing diploma at college and then went into carpentry, completing NVQ levels 2 and 3.

Charlotte went on to complete an apprenticeship with a national housebuilder, where she enjoyed working with all the other trades. She was encouraged to ask about other opportunities and took on the role of trainee assistant site manager, spending a month in all departments to learn about the business and how the site operated.

Charlotte continued her progression with other businesses until she joined Tilia Homes in October 2023 as a senior site manager, overseeing construction projects from start to finish. Charlotte has since progressed to a Project Manager.

As part of this role, Charlotte ensures new housing developments are completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. She also manages daily operations, coordinates teams, and maintains safety protocols, while also communicating with stakeholders and addressing any issues that arise.

What does your working day look like?

We have busy mornings organising the site and trades, making sure we are on programme and solving problems, ensuring materials are organised and ready when needed. You need to constantly drive people and set high standards for others to follow.

Have you encountered any challenges along the way?

Sadly, there can sometimes be a lack of respect for women, and you definitely have to be more resilient. You can't be sensitive or take things personally. Sometimes it feels like you need to prove yourself more as a woman, and really justify yourself. Trades take what men say as gospel, but not always from a woman. You need to be calmly spoken but very direct and persistent. However, attitudes are improving as younger people come into the industry.

In your opinion, why do you think there is an underrepresented number of women in construction?

I feel women are underrepresented because there is a sense that the environment could be threatening, but it’s not. The environment isn’t what people think it might be. Women especially need to understand more about the job and consider giving it a go. It’s not a 9-5, you get to go out and about, interacting with different people, customers and clients.

To make a real change in this industry, I think it’s all about education. There needs to be talks in schools from an early age, ideally Year 9, together with school site tours.

What do you think about untypical’s commitment to achieving gender parity in housebuilding?

I think it’s both important and inspiring. By highlighting the progress women are making and showcasing the wide range of roles available, they’re helping to challenge outdated perceptions of the construction industry. It’s encouraging to see initiatives like this that not only support current professionals but also aim to motivate the next generation to consider careers in housebuilding.

Quick fact

According to the Home Builders Federation (HBF) women currently account for 16 per cent of the construction workforce, with only four per cent working as site managers.

https://www.hbf.co.uk/news/applications-open-for-hbfs-successful-women-into-home-building-programme/