The first rounds of the search for the property industry’s most promising female student have revealed candidates with the calibre to promise a highly competitive final.
The annual National Student Awards is sponsored by top-five housebuilder Linden Homes and is run by the Association of Women in Property (WiP), an organisation which works with businesses and other organisations to help redress the gender imbalance and skills shortage in the property and construction sector. Alongside Linden Homes, the Awards are sponsored at national level by Bouygues UK and Cushman & Wakefield.
Each entrant is put forward by her university course leader and interviewed by a regional panel of industry and academic experts, focusing on her personal skills and potential.
A hectic round of local heats is underway and have already been held in locations around the country where members of Linden Homes’ senior team including; Peter Carpinelli, (Thames Valley) Mike Coker, (Midlands) Dawnet McLaughlin, (South) Nick Laugharne, (Chiltern) and Darren Maddox, (South East) have been involved in the judging.
Iain Holliday, from Training in Action Ltd facilitates these judging panels around the country for WiP. He said: “The involvement from the Linden Homes’ senior management team has been crucial in terms of the ‘real world’ exchange of ideas and views and really bringing the industry to life for the candidates. They are particularly good at putting the students at ease and inspiring them in their future studies.”
The Linden Homes judges have also enjoyed the process. Dawnet McLaughlin said: “These young women have impressed me in terms of their existing knowledge of the industry as well as the ideas and enthusiasm they bring – if they are indicative of the calibre of the future talent coming into the industry then we have a bright future ahead indeed!”
Lisa-Jane Risk, National Chairman of WiP, said: “Each year we are bowled over by the enthusiasm and professionalism of these young women and I know, having been a judge on many occasions that we on the panel find the process inspiring and thought provoking. I would like to thank Linden Homes and our other national and regional sponsors, for joining us in supporting the Awards and, most importantly, the students themselves.”
Andrew Richards, Linden Homes group managing director, said: “Our support for Women in Property’s National Student Awards demonstrates our ongoing commitment as a company to encourage more women into the industry.
“As well as facing a skills shortage in construction there is a diverse range of opportunities for women both on and off site in the industry and they have the knowledge and capabilities to help tackle the issues we face and build the homes we need.
“Our sponsorship gives us the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the UK’s best female property students, and to practice what we preach by offering work placements and the support to build a career on an equal footing to that of their male counterparts.”
The judging days continue into the spring when a shortlist of 10 regional winners will be selected.
For more information on the Women in Property Scheme, you can visit http://www.womeninproperty.org.uk/.
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For media information on WiP, contact Sue Maguire at Milestone PR on 07739 403952
