All-female construction courses will run over the summer in Cumbria as part of efforts to encourage young people to stay in education or training after GCSEs.
The 16-to 19-year-olds doing woodwork and painting and decorating courses at Furness College, Barrow-in-Furness will pocket pound;40 a week for taking part.
Dave Green, head of technology at Furness College where the week-long courses will run, said: “The painting and decorating course is already full. We might have some work educating employers. Some are not aware of how many females want to come into construction and so are less likely to take them on. The course will help prepare the students for doing DIY in the house too.”
Leanne Rigg, 17, has just done a City and Guilds painting and decorating course at Furness, where she was the only girl: “Some girls feel uncomfortable working with lads. I was nervous at first, but I got over it.” She said the new courses were a “great idea”.
