PASSIONATE ASSISTANT QUANTITY SURVEYOR AT CHASE NEW HOMES MARKS

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023

In celebration of International Women’s Day on Wednesday 8^th March, Amy Green, Assistant Quantity Surveyor at Chase New Homes, explains more about her role in the construction industry including, what’s influenced her choice of career, what she hopes to achieve in the year ahead and her advice for other women hoping to have a career within this field.

Since she was young, Amy has been surrounded by many family members who worked in the construction industry, however, her inspiration came mostly from her dad who is a customer care manager for a housebuilder. She comments: “I remember going to work with my dad at a young age so I have been around building projects my whole life. He worked on housing developments too so it is quite interesting that I have ended up in such a similar position.”

Despite this direct influence, Amy never thought construction was where her career would take her, in fact at school she had pictured herself working in an office or in retail. However, when her dad’s company needed a commercial assistant, her journey into construction began. She comments: “I really liked working as a commercial assistant and my job was mainly admin-based tasks. As I enjoyed organising, liaising with suppliers and working on housing projects, my manager suggested I could be good in quantity surveying and this is what kickstarted me considering looking into this line of work. I did a bit of research and found out more about the role and soon realised that I actually could do well in this area. I enrolled myself into a college course focused on construction through the company and learnt more about the trade, the job roles available and the opportunities they could lead to. Unfortunately, the company had to close down but the experience and diploma I gained whilst being employed taught me what I had a passion for and I was ready to go for it.”

Amy applied for a role at Chase New Homes in 2015 and has since made impressive progress, working on a number of projects and gaining more responsibility. Talking about her daily routine and what an average day might involve, she comments: “What I really love about this job is the variety and the fact that each day is different; some days I’m in the office and others I’m on site in muddy boots and a hard hat! My role entails placing orders for sub-contractors, ensuring all the work on site is being completed to the correct standard, paying suppliers and overseeing the finances in general. I love the mixture of my day-to-day tasks but also the enjoyment, excitement and general banter that comes with working in this type of environment.”

Following on from the fun climate of working in construction, Amy explains what being a woman in this particular sector is like. She comments: “I definitely think things are moving in the right direction, since becoming an Assistant Quantity Surveyor with Chase New Homes, I am seeing more and more female workers appear in all areas of construction. It does take some getting used to, it can be very male dominated and some people within and outside the industry may question your abilities or whether you’re the right fit. I even think it takes some time for male workers to get used to working alongside a woman, but now in my job they just see me as a colleague, not a female colleague.”

As the number of women in construction roles increases, Amy hopes more female workers will be encouraged to step into the industry. She explains: “Now there is a higher proportion of women in construction roles, it is opening the door for others who may have felt they would never be considered for this type of work. At college, I had a female lecturer and even that proved to me that a woman can be in strong successful roles. I also remember the first time I met a female plumber and I found it so impressive and admirable. For a woman to see another female in their dream role is the best form of encouragement and is why it is key for us to keep improving the diversity within the sector.”

Explaining more about this growth in gender equality, Amy continues: “At Chase, there are female workers in every department and this representation is only going to increase. I could tell the company were on the right track even from my first interview as I felt comfortable straight away, and for a woman in this line of work, that is so important and showed to me this was where I belonged.”

Expanding on Amy’s experiences at Chase New Homes, Paul Bennett, Sales and Marketing Director comments on the importance of diversity in the workplace: “We value diversity extremely highly at Chase and always make sure we create a positive and inspirational environment for everyone across the business. We recognise that all our employees bring different skills and come from a variety of backgrounds, but that’s what makes us such a progressive and strong team. I am delighted to hear that Amy has thoroughly enjoyed her experience and would like to say a personal thank you for her incredibly hard work since she joined.”

Now in her 7^th year at Chase New Homes, Amy is looking forward to progressing towards her future aspirations. She concludes: “My main goal is to become a fully-qualified Quantity Surveyor and look after my own sites. The team have been so positive since I joined Chase and always push me to grow and reach for this goal. So far, I would say my greatest achievement has been progressing from working alongside my dad as an admin assistant to going solo and moving to a company and learning surveying. I have been working on Chase’s new development in Broxbourne called Scholars and I can’t wait to see the site reach completion whilst also continuing to develop my skills and my career.”