05 Mar 2025

Women in Construction Week 2025: ‘Being a woman in construction is an empowering experience’

This Women in Construction Week, we catch up with the incredible women in our site teams to find out about their career in construction. Our Trainee Site Manager, Antonia Richardson, shares her journey so far and how she feels to be leading the charge for female representation in construction.

I’m nearing the end of an apprenticeship at Liverpool John Moores University, which I started in 2022. As part of one of my last modules, I’m doing a dissertation that’s focused on how women in construction are perceived - so this is a subject very close to my heart.

Before I joined the construction industry, I worked for my local council as an Asset Management Technician, but knew I wanted a big change. In 2020, I signed up to complete my HNC in construction and completed this one day per week for two years, alongside my role at the council.

In 2020, I also found out I was pregnant but knew I still wanted to pursue a new career so I continued with my college course in the hopes this would be my gateway into construction, and I’ve never looked back.

I joined Caddick almost two years ago after my previous employer went into administration, and so far working for Caddick has been a great experience. My current project, Central Street in Bolton, is a fast-paced, busy site and I feel it has been extremely beneficial for my learning and development. 

For me, juggling a career in construction, a Construction Management degree and being a mother has been one of the hardest things I have done, but it is also one of the most rewarding. The site team and my workplace mentor have been really supportive throughout my journey, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Being a woman in construction is an empowering experience. Every day brings new challenges, but I find enjoyment in assisting my colleagues with coordinating subcontractors, ensuring safety standards are met and solving problems onsite. The satisfaction of seeing a project come together from the ground up, and knowing that my decisions and direction have helped make it happen, is a great feeling.

As a female in a traditionally male-dominated industry, I’m showing that leadership and the ability to succeed is not defined by gender, but by hard work and determination.