We are delighted to announce that Rachel Darvall, Assistant Site Manager for St James, has won the Best Construction Newcomer category in the Women in Build Awards 2016.
Rachel joined St James in 2015 as a Construction Graduate. She is based at Heritage Walk in Kew, a development of 91 apartments and commercial space. Having been part of the team since the start of the project, Rachel has seen the groundworks and concrete frames turn into near finished apartments. She is currently managing the internal fit out of the homes, which will be completed in early 2017.
Being an Assistant Site Manager Rachel is responsible for making sure the homes she delivers have zero defects. She does this by sticking to strong processes, close day-to-day management on site, and working collaboratively with contractors and suppliers.
She says people often assume she works for any department other than Build and some contractors are surprised when they realise she works on site in a hard hat and boots.
"The stereotype of women not being suited to construction work still remains, but it's changing. I really hope awards like 'Women in Build' will help increase diversity in the industry.
Winning this award means a lot to me. St James and the Berkeley Group are on a mission to attract women to construction. I hope that I can be living proof that women can work and succeed in the toughest of environments."
Sean Ellis, Chairman of St James, comments:
"We are hugely proud of Rachel for winning this award. It is much deserved and I hope it will encourage more women to pursue a career in construction. As an industry we need to do more to sell the benefits of construction careers, particularly to women, otherwise we will lose out on a swathe of talent that the industry desperately needs."