The Women into Home Building programme is open to home builders with HBF membership.
Register your interest below to sponsor placements on your home building sites to candidates across the country.
Not a home builder?
This page is for home builders to register their interest in offering placements on their sites for the next programme intake. If you're interested in getting involved as a candidate, or just want to know more, click through to our programme page.
Find out about the Women into Home Building programme
About the programme
In 2022, HBF and a network of home builders developed the Women into Home Building programme to address the gender imbalance in the construction workforce.
The programme was launched in January 2023 and has since supported 118 women to gain site management experience and valuable networking links with employers.
Frequently asked questions
497 women engaged and informed about careers
118 women completed work placements
32 women gained a job or apprenticeship
The Women into Home Building programme is delivered in two cohorts a year.
Employers need to be a member of HBF to take part in the scheme.
The sponsorship covers the recruitment, sifting and matching of the women to your site(s), all industry and employability training in the insight week, work placement co-ordination, and support.
NHBC will cover the cost of travel and childcare support as required by each successful candidate.
Home builders are required to provide PPE to the women for the duration of their work placement. This may include boots, high-visibility jackets, helmets, and gloves, where appropriate.
SME home builders must sponsor a minimum of one opportunity per programme.
For more information on becoming a sponsor, including associated costs, contact the Home Building Skills Partnership Team at skillspartnership@hbf.co.uk
The primary benefit of taking part in the Women into Home Building programme is that it will strengthen your talent pool with a range of underrepresented candidates who, at the end of the programme, will be employment ready. All candidates are eligibility checked as part of the onboarding experience, ensuring you are matched with eligible talent.
Taking part in the programme will increase your brand visibility as your involvement will be detailed as part of each cohort’s six-week promotional campaign for each cohort. This includes inclusion on an employer profile page in the programme’s brochure and being part of broader communications activity delivered by HBF.
Each candidate you sponsor will take part in five days of online training to give them an insight into home building and the role of a Site Manager. This is in addition to a two-week work placement at a site-based location of your choice, shadowing the site management team.
Throughout their time on the programme, candidates will receive support, including help with childcare and transport costs whilst on placement.
No, this is not an employment scheme therefore employers do not have to guarantee candidates a job at the end of the programme.
However, one of the aims of the programme is to connect prospective talent with employers therefore we do encourage employers to consider candidates for future roles.
A number of candidates who have successfully completed the programme have gone on to secure a job at the end of their placement.
Want to know more?
For more information about the programme or to apply for a work placement, view the application page.
Find out more