Breaking the Mould: How a 19-Year-Old Female Roofer is Inspiring Women to Smash Through the Glass Ceiling in UK Construction

19-Year-Old Poppy Orton Urges Women and Girls to Pursue Construction Careers

A teenager who swapped performing arts to become a roofer has urged other women and girls to "smash through the glass ceiling" and pursue careers in construction. As part of Women in Construction week, 19-year-old Poppy Orton has said there is "zero reason" more women can’t enter the industry.

"I suggest that any young person interested in construction, just go for it," said Poppy, from Gateshead. Of the 78 people on her apprenticeship course, Poppy was the only woman - something the leading training provider would like to see change urgently.

While Office of National Statistics show that over 300,000 women work in the UK construction industry – a figure that’s risen in the past decade - that still equates to under 15 per cent of the workforce. Crucially, separate data from the Chartered Institute of Building found just two per cent worked on-site – with the overwhelming majority in admin roles.

Having worked in sales, and studied performing arts at college, Poppy’s path to a construction career started last summer via Optimum Skills, a leading North East training and apprenticeship provider. She explained: "I spotted the opportunity online and just thought 'You know what, why not?'

"I joined Optimum Skills’ Construction Academy and completed a two-week course through their partnership with the Kings Trust, followed by a five-week pre-apprenticeship programme where I had a taste of pretty much all the trades, like bricklaying and joinery. But roofing was just for me. I absolutely love it."

Following her time with Optimum Skills, she secured an apprenticeship at John Flowers Roofing Contractors in Washington, where she’s now building a career for herself as the first woman roofer.

She continued: "I don’t want to be sat at a desk all day – I’m hands-on and like being outside, plus it is such a workout that it is like being paid to get fit. But as a woman on-site, I feel like I’m constantly having to prove myself. But at the same time, that makes me stronger as a person.

"And roofing isn’t about how much you can lift. So much of it is problem solving and technique, and it is something anyone – male or female – can do if they put their mind to it."

Rachel Armstrong, Senior Partnership Manager at Optimum Skills said: "We are proud that the number of women entering construction apprenticeships with ourselves is increasing, and we really want the message to be clear that there are no obstacles for females entering the industry.

"Construction isn’t a man’s world, and Poppy is proof that women can thrive in construction careers, with apprenticeships the best way to enter the sector. The feedback we hear from employers is they want a more diverse workforce and we certainly want more females like Poppy to step up, seek out an apprenticeship, and find their way to a great career."