I shopped around and started to build career in construction

With National Construction Week being celebrated across the province this week, girls are being encouraged to kick off their heels and roll up their sleeves. As a construction engineer, Trea Wylie has enjoyed fitting out shops as much as spending her hard earned cash in them. Nigel Tilson reports

The post: Construction engineer, Farrans Construction
The postholder: Trea Wylie

With National Construction Week being celebrated across the province this week, girls are being encouraged to kick off their heels and roll up their sleeves. As a construction engineer, Trea Wylie has enjoyed fitting out shops as much as spending her hard earned cash in them. Nigel Tilson reports

Carrying out surveys, setting out street works, dealing with health and safety issues, looking after sub-contractors, drafting, decision making and creative thinking are among the tasks tackled by Trea Wylie in her role with Farrans Construction

Trea Wylie: 'Construction is a rapidly growing industry which, I feel, offers a diverse range of exciting and rewarding career opportunities for young women like me'

How did you get into the construction industry?

When I was growing up I always wanted to be an architect and at school I really enjoyed subjects such as art and technology and design.

After my A-Levels I started a degree in architecture at Queen's University in Belfast, but after a few weeks I began to think that architecture wasn't the career for me.

I really enjoyed the construction lectures far more than any other part of the course and found that I was much more interested in the construction of buildings rather than the design.

At this point I knew I had to consider my options and career path very carefully.

I decided to do a bit of research and spoke to tutors and careers advisors at the University of Ulster about the range of courses available in the construction industry.

After plenty of research I changed to a BSc Hons degree in construction engineering and management at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown.

I really enjoyed my course and was fortunate to receive two awards for my efforts - the CITB placement student of the year award and the Hays recruitment placement student award.

Once I finished my degree I began working for Farrans Construction, which is based in Dunmurry.

Tell us a bit more about your career path to Farrans.

I worked with construction company H&J Martin during my placement year at university.

My focus was on shop-fitting and it was really interesting as I was working on shops that I enjoy shopping in, namely River Island, Virgin Megastore and Dunnes.

As the assistant contracts manager, I was responsible for the day-to-day running of the site and resolving design issues between sub-contractors and the client's head office.

After completing my degree I took up a position with Farrans in its healthcare department.

Most of the jobs I'm working on now are with hospitals and healthcare centres throughout Northern Ireland which are usually million pound developments.

What does your job entail on a day-to-day basis?

My days are varied. I could be doing a survey, setting out streetworks, dealing with health and safety issues or simply looking after the various sub-contractors on site.

Other activities that I get involved in include drafting, decision making, computer interaction, communication, documentation, creative thinking, organising, information collecting, estimating and analysing.

No two days are the same, so I never get bored.

What is your experience as a woman in the construction industry?

I have had great experiences so far.

Most men have no problem with a woman on site and have always treated me with equal respect.

Many find it refreshing to see a girl on site and are therefore very positive.

Construction is a rapidly growing industry which, I feel, offers a diverse range of exciting and rewarding career opportunities for young women like me.

There honestly has never been a better time for women to enter what has traditionally been seen as a male-dominated industry.

How do you think companies can encourage more women to become involved in the construction industry?

They could demonstrate to women how diverse and interesting the industry is through staging open days, organising site visits, lectures and seminars in schools and universities and advertising campaigns.

I also think it's really important to inspire young women by profiling female role models that they can relate to.

What advice would you give to prospective women students?

If any women are interested in working in an industry such as construction which is predominantly male I would encourage them to go for it.

I was one of only five females on my course, but my experiences were always positive.

My tutors were very helpful throughout both school and college and always encouraged me to pursue my desired career path.

From personal experience, I find as long as you can do the job as well as the men you will earn the respect.

I've worked with quite a number of women in the industry across various projects and they have all been treated with equal respect.

What are the good and bad aspects of your job?

I find the industry very rewarding and exciting to work in as there is always an end product - you can physically see what all your hard work has achieved.

Also I'm always meeting new people.

The only bad point is the weather - it can be very cold while out on site.

What skills do you need in your line of work and how have your employers helped develop these skills?

Most construction engineers have a love for maths and science, but many other skills are required, including critical thinking, listening, learning, problem solving, monitoring, decision making, and the ability to reason and communicate.

Construction engineers have to be able to think about all aspects of a problem and listen to other people's ideas so that they can learn everything about a project before it begins.

They also have to monitor the workers on the job site for safety and to make sure that the project is on time and done correctly.

When a problem occurs it is up to the construction engineer to decide how to fix it.

Excellent social skills are essential. I work with such a wide variety of people on a daily basis, from foremen to bricklayers.

Farrans sends me on courses throughout the year to continue to develop my skills and support my professional development.

Courses cover health and safety, the use of slingers, safety on a site and so on.

I am also a member of the Chartered Institute of Building.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy going to the gym, spinning classes and generally keeping fit.

To relax I like to listen to music, meet up with friends and shop. The best therapy is definitely retail therapy.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

I am a qualified GAA and rugby coach. I also represented Ulster in athletics during my schooldays at St Mary's Grammar School in Magherafelt.

Who has inspired you most in your life or job?

My mum is a great inspiration to me. She always told me to aim for a career which I would enjoy.

As a result she encouraged me to aim high and enter into higher education so I could secure my dream job as a construction engineer.

I understand the struggles young people face in realising that university is a possible option and choosing the route that suits them.

I would encourage anyone who wants to work in the construction industry to go for it as it is an exceptionally rewarding and challenging industry to work in.

Anyone interested in a career in construction should contact the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) NI new entrant team on 028 9082 5466.