A civil engineer who struggled to break into the UK construction industry after moving from India has gained valuable site experience through a national programme designed to help women develop careers in homebuilding.
Aneena Thomas joined Midlands-based housebuilder Spitfire Homes for a two-week placement at its Viridian development in Edgbaston through the Home Builders Federation’s (HBF) Women into Home Building programme.
Originally from Cochin in India, Thomas has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala and a master’s degree in construction management from Coventry University. She also has six years’ experience working as a civil engineer, project coordinator and design coordinator.
However, despite her qualifications and experience, she found it difficult to secure opportunities in the UK due to employers’ emphasis on local site experience.
“Since I didn’t have any experience on site within the UK, it was hard to get into the industry here, because that is what employers ask for a lot of the time,” she said.
“I’d worked in construction for six years in India, but I needed UK experience to move forward, and this programme offered me exactly that.”
During her placement, Thomas shadowed site manager Matt Nagorski and assistant site manager Mike Scully, gaining insight into subcontractor management, problem-solving and health and safety on a live construction site.
She also attended Spitfire’s monthly project meetings, which bring together teams from engineering, commercial, planning, technical and construction disciplines.
Differences in construction
Thomas said the experience had highlighted differences between construction in India and the UK.
“Even though the process of building a house is the same, the materials and construction methods are different to what I was used to in India,” she said.
“The standards the site team work to, and the way they keep everything running smoothly and safely, gave me a valuable insight into how things are done here.”
Thomas is now hoping to develop a career on the technical side of the industry, particularly in planning and design, while remaining open to further site-based opportunities.
She also called for greater representation of women in construction. HBF research suggests women account for 15% of the construction workforce and just 5% of site managers.
“I’d love to see more women involved in this industry,” she said. “There is a huge amount of female talent out there who have the qualifications and are ready to take their opportunity. It’s about making sure that talent is seen and people are given the chance to shine.”
The Women into Home Building programme, which launched in 2023, combines online training with hands-on placements with national and regional housebuilders. More than 150 candidates have taken part so far, with over 50 securing employment in the industry.
The initiative recently won Career Development Initiative of the Year at the Women in Housing and Housing Heroes Awards 2026.
Matt Vincent, operations director at Spitfire Homes, said: “The industry needs more women in site-based and technical roles alike, and we’re determined to play our part in creating those opportunities and helping people build lasting careers in housebuilding.”
