These questions drive my determination to change the fenestration industry from one traditionally dominated by men into a field where women can see themselves building successful, rewarding careers.
When I took over as Managing Director at Warwick North West in 2021, increasing the diversity within our team was a top priority for me. The fenestration industry has long been male-dominated. We've been working hard to change that, but there is still more that we all need to do.
Growing Female Representation
I'm proud that since 2016, we've increased the number of women working at Warwick by 200%. This required deliberate changes to our recruitment practices, workplace culture, and how we present ourselves as an employer. We now have talented, award-winning women in key positions who are integral to our success.
However, I'm also aware that we still have work to do. Currently, most of our female workforce is concentrated in office-based roles like administration and marketing. While these positions are vital to our operation, my ambition is to see similar representation in our manufacturing areas.
Across the UK, women make up just 14% of construction industry professionals, and the numbers are even lower in trades and on factory floors.
I want to build the strongest possible team, one that is effective, passionate, and brings fresh ideas to the table. When an industry like ours unintentionally excludes women, we're cutting ourselves off from skilled people who could help us grow and innovate.
If we're only recruiting from half the population, we're missing out on a huge talent pool.
Working with Schools and Colleges
To address this challenge, we've developed partnerships with local schools and colleges to introduce young women to the opportunities available in fenestration. We regularly visit and showcase our company culture, which is a huge part of attracting talented staff.
We work closely with Hugh Baird College, one of only three ‘Outstanding’ colleges in the North West, to develop apprenticeship pathways specifically designed to attract young people into manufacturing roles. Apprenticeships provide a supportive environment for developing technical skills while earning a wage.
Youth Leadership Scheme
One of my favourite things that we have implemented is a junior management program that acts as a second layer of management. The initiative pairs a selection of our young employees with senior managers who act as mentors, providing guidance and development opportunities. It creates a clear progression path for young talent, showing them exactly where they can get to in the business.
The Wider Industry Challenge
While we're making progress internally, transforming the wider industry requires a collective effort. Fenestration has traditionally projected a very male image, from marketing materials to trade shows and recruitment practices. The issue is that women don't see themselves represented and therefore simply wouldn’t consider a career in our sector.
The benefits of a more diverse workforce are clear. Research consistently shows that diverse teams are more innovative, make better decisions, and ultimately deliver better results. From a purely business perspective, when an industry like ours unintentionally excludes women, we're cutting ourselves off from skilled people who could help us grow and innovate.
While we've made progress that I’m proud of, I’d like to do more to promote talented women in the sector. One of my end goals is to achieve what we have with female representation in our office on our factory floor and manufacturing.
As a father of two young daughters, I'd love nothing more than for them to be inspired to progress into this industry, not be put off by it.
As we continue to grow as a business, increasing diversity will remain a core part of ‘The Warwick Way’ – our approach to doing business that puts people and community alongside profit.
Warwick North West's Managing Director, Greg Johnson
www.warwicknorthwest.co.uk
Why not Sign-up to Receive these Articles by Email each Day on our newsfeed site
>> Scroll down to read more articles like this which have been published recently on this blog <<
You can also read additional current and archived articles on our dedicated magazine website
Low Cost and Free Publicity - Your company can easily benefit from some publicity like the posts above for a contribution towards our layout costs (£75 to £95 plus VAT), payable in advance or you can receive the service absolutely free of charge if you advertise (see below).
We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.
To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.
If you are a regular advertiser in our printed and online publications, placing series bookings for adverts or subscribing to our VIP Packages, you will qualify for a specific number of free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us. See our media pack for more details.
Also, if you purchase one of our Online and Print Combo packages, Featured Articles or Advertorial packages shown in our media pack, posting on this blog is included in the price.
For details and rates for all of our advertising options in print and online, download our media pack contact us or visit our website.
Door Industry Journal is a trading style of Clearview Group Limited - Company No. 06999111
No comments:
Post a Comment