Publication Date: 18-02-2025 09:00
Ellie pursues new career with Bellway after joining Women into Home Building programme
A graduate who left university with a degree in policing and criminal investigation is aiming to do justice to her new career in the building industry.
Ellie Spruce, 22, from Lancaster, has set her sights on becoming a site manager after being employed by Bellway through a scheme aimed at addressing the gender imbalance in the construction workforce.
Her planned career path changed from criminal justice to construction when she took a job at an estate agency after university, sparking an interest in the housing industry which led to her applying for the Women into Home Building initiative.
After completing a two-week work placement at Bellway’s The Putting Green at Brackley Village development near Bolton, Ellie was offered a role as a trainee assistant site manager with the company’s Manchester division in November last year.
“I was totally focused on a career in the criminal justice sector then I suddenly had a change of mind,” said Ellie. “After university, I took a job as estate agent in the Lake District and it was lovely but it convinced me that I wanted a more dynamic, exciting job.
“What it also did was to get me really interested in the housing industry and I wanted to know more about how the wider business worked. When I heard about the Women into Home Building programme I was intrigued, so I applied.
“After two weeks at The Putting Green at Brackley I knew I had found the perfect place for me. After my stint there they offered a position as a trainee assistant site manager and I jumped at the chance to join Bellway.”
Bellway is one of a number of housebuilders which are participating in the scheme, led by the Home Builders Federation, to attract more women into site management roles.
“This is a great programme because it gives you a chance to dip into the industry and to see if you like it and for the housebuilder to see if they think you have got what it takes to succeed in the business,” said Ellie. “What is brilliant for me is that I did my placement at The Putting Green at Brackley and that is where I now work. I could not be happier.”
As part of her Bellway training, Ellie started a 14-month course with the National House Building Council (NHBC) in February and is studying online one day a week to try to gain an NVQ Level 4 in site management.
“I like the study element to my training schedule but I love the four days a week on the site,” said Ellie. “Every day on the development I am learning something new on the job and it’s varied. I like the challenge of not knowing what you are going to be doing from one day to the next.
“I enjoyed taking on a scaffolding course which has given me certification to inspect scaffolding on site to make sure it is safe and secure. There is a tremendous amount of responsibility on the site management team to ensure that health and safety rules are being adhered to by everyone on the development at all times.”
Ellie says she has also benefited from the ‘‘Meet the Builder’ sessions on site, where buyers are shown a ‘House to Home’ property which demonstrates the various stages of the build process so they can better understand how their new home is constructed.
“At these sessions, I am learning as well as the buyers and I have been able to step in a couple of times when customers have asked questions. Dealing with buyers is another aspect of the job that I really like
“I feel lucky to have been given this chance by Bellway to make a career in this exciting industry and I am going to make the most of it. My goal is to learn as much as I can so I can qualify and become an assistant site manager then go on to be a site manager.”
Tom Chadwick, Construction Director at Bellway Manchester, said: “Ellie is a great asset to the team at The Putting Green at Brackley, who have been hugely impressed by her willingness to learn and ability to take on information and act on it.
“The construction industry is viewed by many as a traditionally male-dominated workplace, and this is something that Bellway is committed to changing. By participating in the excellent Women into Home Building programme we are making a real difference by encouraging women like Ellie to give the industry a try.
“Ellie is a dedicated, talented individual and we will give her all the training and support that she needs to have a successful career and achieve her full potential with the company.”
For more information about careers at Bellway, visit https://www.bellwaycareers.co.uk/vacancies
