GBHP hosts construction insight event for WOMEN’STEC

Attracta Mathews, Community Benefits Advisor of GRAHAM-BAM Healthcare Partnership, a joint venture between GRAHAM and BAM Contractors Ltd and Kelli Johnston from WOMEN’STEC are pictured with (l-r) Aibhne Mellon O’Halloran and Bronwyn Beatty from East Belfast.

20 August 2019 - GRAHAM-Bam Healthcare Partnership (GBHP), which delivers strategic healthcare projects on the island of Ireland, recently (16 August 2019) hosted a construction insight event at its Royal Victoria Hospital Maternity site, to support the WOMEN’STEC Summer Scheme for girls.

Fourteen girls, aged between 10 and 13 years old, took part in the visit to find out from females who are working in the industry about different careers and roles in the construction industry.

WOMEN’STEC (Training, Enterprise and Childcare) is the largest quality provider of training for women in non-traditional skills in Northern Ireland. Based in North Belfast, it enables women to return to employment in non-traditional sectors contributing to promoting a diverse workforce and reducing the skills shortage in the construction and ICT industries.

Discussing the visit Attracta Matthews, Community Benefits Advisor of GRAHAM-Bam Healthcare Partnership, a joint venture between GRAHAM and BAM Contractors Ltd, said: ‘GBHP has supported WOMEN’STEC in many different ways over the years – from hosting site visits, making regular pallet donations for their joinery classes, delivering careers talks and presentations right through to supporting student achievement events. WOMEN’STEC hosted their summer scheme for girls aged between 10 and 13 this year and asked GBHP to host a site visit to add value to their programme. A total of fourteen girls visited our Royal Victoria Hospital Maternity construction site to learn more about construction and to hear about the many different careers and roles from a range of our female employees. In addition to seeing a live construction site, they also gained an insight into other aspects of the project such as the community, environmental challenges, human resources and subcontracting.’

Attracta added: ‘We feel that it is important to inspire and encourage young females to consider a future career in the industry, given the wealth of opportunity that it holds. That’s why we value the work of organisations such as WOMEN’STEC.’

Real career opportunities

Thanking GRAHAM-Bam Healthcare Partnership, Kelli Johnston from WOMEN’STEC, which provides support to women, many of whom are socially and economically disadvantaged, said: ‘Our group thoroughly enjoyed the site visit and I would like to thank GRAHAM-BAM Healthcare Partnership for taking the time to facilitate the young people. Meeting and chatting to females who are working in the construction industry helps to show that there are real career opportunities that these young females can pursue.’

Construction Excellence Awards

In 2017, GBHP was honoured as the overall winner at the Construction Excellence Awards for the Ulster Hospital’s Inpatient Ward Block which has set the standard for healthcare construction.

GRAHAM-BAM Healthcare Partnership (GBHP) recently completed the construction of the new £33 million Acute Mental Health Inpatient Centre at Belfast City Hospital on behalf of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and is currently constructing the £95m Acute Services Block at the Ulster Hospital for the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust.