Award winning West Midlands student part of rising number of women changing construction narrative

Award-winning student Madeleine Clarke is part of a rising number of women pursuing a construction career at Coventry University and is hoping her achievement will inspire more young girls to consider a career in the industry.

Third year Architectural Technology BSc student Madeleine won the West Midlands’ crown at The Association of Women in Property 2021 Student of the Year Awards, an event that aims to increase and support the 15% of women who make up the construction and property workforce.

Coventry University is helping to address that figure, with women making up a quarter of the students studying built environment courses at the university.

Madeleine, who was 23 when she decided to pursue her dream, is keen to increase exposure of careers in construction to young women.

She said: “The only careers that were pitched to me at school were nursing or teaching. I was only exposed to a career in architecture when I completed a career quiz online. When I go to these Women in Property events it is great because the room is filled with women in the industry.

“I just want to encourage more women and girls to look into a career in property or construction because exposure is important, and I want to show people through this award that you can change your path and do something different.”

Sabine Coady Schäbitz, Curriculum Lead for Built Environment at Coventry University, says the university wants to drive change in the industry.

She said: “We are proud of Madeline and are actively encouraging women to enrol on our professional courses in the Built Environment. In the last five years the percentage of women studying with us rose from 17.3% to 26.4%.

"We are working closely with industry and the professional bodies to further increase equality, diversity and inclusion in the creation and management of the Built Environment.”