Discovering what life as a site manager is really like

This month as part of our Women in Construction series, we caught up with Patience Oyeleye who discovered what life was like working as a site manager thanks to the Women into Home Building (WiHB) programme.

Our two housebuilding brands, Tilia Homes and Hopkins Homes, signed up to the WiHB programme, which encourages women to apply for the funded programme. It includes an initial week of online training and insight sessions, followed by a two-work experience placement.

Developed by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) in collaboration with leading regional and national home builders, the initiative seeks to expand the talent pipeline and foster gender diversity within site management. According to the HBF, women currently account for 16 per cent of the construction workforce, with only four per cent working as site managers.

Here’s what Patience had to say:

What were your highlights of the placement?

It was a valuable experience and I appreciated the welcoming environment and the chance to observe and assist with site management tasks.

A key highlight for me was gaining insight into the day-to-day operations of site management and working alongside a dedicated team. I also enjoyed seeing how various aspects of the project come together to achieve successful outcomes. I was very grateful for this opportunity.

What did you learn about being a site manager?

My impression of site management did align with what I expected, and the processes appeared well-organised. The team demonstrated professionalism and effective communication.

What did you think of the people on site?

The people I worked with were friendly, supportive, and professional. It was a pleasure to collaborate with such a motivated team.

untypical is committed to achieving gender parity in homebuilding.

We hope that by regularly focusing on the strides women are making in homebuilding and focusing on the different roles that exist, we will hopefully encourage the next generation to pick up the mantle and realise that construction offers rewarding and successful careers for everyone.