Joyce praises inspiring young women in property

Joyce Watson AM for Mid & West Wales was today (17/06/10) special guest at the Association of Women in Property (WiP), Student Awards 2010 (South Wales Branch). A day to congratulate promising young female students in built environment studies.
Over the past 6 months, WiP have worked with a number of colleges and universities to find outstanding female students in the built environment. The nominees were selected by an esteemed panel of industry experts.
This year, 4 exceptional students were recognised for their achievements during the course of their 2nd year studies. After a rigorous process the 2010 Student Award went to, Yvonne Wilday, a student recognised as being an ‘excellent role model…well organised and conscientious’. Yvonne, a BSc City and Regional Planning student at Cardiff University, is in the top 5% of her degree year, demonstrating strong performance across all modules. The panel of industry judges commented on her maturity, confidence and poise in dealing with questions, and her forward thinking and practical nature.
Speaking after the event, Joyce said:
“Those students nominated and in this room today are truly an inspiration not only in encouraging other girls and women to consider a career in the industry, but to us all, whether as politicians, professionals or the nation as a whole.
“Despite more than 30 years of equality legislation, gender still clearly plays a big part when it comes to the career choices people make.
“It is a fact that the actual proportion of women working as tradespeople in the construction industry in Wales currently stands at around just 2%. This is despite women comprising 46% of the total workforce in the UK.
“As we look to rebuild the economy, it is more important than ever that we tackle the shortage of women pursuing careers in the construction industry.
“The construction industry offers women a real career choice and the ability, amongst other things, to gain a significant increase in their earning capacity.
“The 4 outstanding young women recognised today are just some of the many remarkable women looking to better their lives through the construction industry.
“I congratulate the Association of Women in Property for hosting such a wonderful event today and on their hard work and commitment on dealing with this issue head on.”