At the Construction Inclusion Coalition, we champion the belief that a diverse workforce is the most productive and innovative workforce.
That is why we are proud to showcase the success of individuals like Nerys Mitchell, a high-performing Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driver for our Strategic Partner, Specialist Driver Resourcing.
Nerys’s story is a powerful illustration of the talent and determination that women bring to the construction and logistics sectors.
Nerys, who was a bricklayer and groundworker before she got her HGV licence, delivers building materials to construction sites and homes around the country.
The 50-year-old, from Driffield, East Yorkshire, says driving a lorry has been an ambition of hers from an early age.
“Seeing different parts of the country, driving, meeting new people – every day is different, and I enjoy every aspect of it,” she says. “I was just made to do it.”
Challenging Perceptions
As the sole female HGV driver among 75 at her firm, Nerys often challenges expectations when she arrives on site: “Watching people see you arrive on a Monday morning, you can kind of judge that they’re not really expecting a woman.”
However, her professionalism and skill quickly turn surprise into respect. “As one or two days go by, you can see that you’ve changed their attitudes, and their attitude towards you is friendlier and warmer.”
Breaking Down Barriers
Despite women driving trucks for decades, only about 1% of HGV drivers in England are female. This statistic underscores the urgent need for greater visibility and targeted inclusion efforts, which are core missions of the Coalition.
Simon Pritchard, Managing Director at Specialist Driver Resourcing, recognises this challenge: “I think it’s difficult to recruit women into this industry because of that age-old saying of you can’t be what you can’t see.”
He highlights that outdated stereotypes surrounding the physicality of the job are no longer true, and he praises Nerys as “one of our highest performing drivers and one that we get some of the best feedback on.”
For Nerys, who delivers building materials across the country, visibility is the main key to increasing female representation: “I don’t think many women do this job because you don’t see many women around building yards like this, so they don’t see that this could potentially be a role for women.”
While she admits working in a male-dominated environment requires extra effort – “I feel like I have to work much harder to prove myself” – she finds immense reward in changing perceptions. “It can be quite intimidating, but it’s also quite rewarding knowing I’m changing people’s attitudes towards this kind of line of work. It feels empowering.”
The Industry’s Commitment to Inclusion
The challenges Nerys faces are part of a larger industry-wide issue: a significant shortage of HGV drivers overall. This has spurred a clear focus on opening doors to a wider pool of talent, including women.
The Construction Inclusion Coalition applauds the initiatives underway to make the sector more accessible, and it appears that women are being attracted to the industry with 8% of the inquiries which HGV Training Network receive now come from women.
“I think it’s a brilliant sector to work in,” says Nerys. “I thoroughly enjoy my role in what I do here. I love the fact that we’re breaking boundaries, and I’d love to encourage more women to do this role.”
Through the efforts of Strategic Partners like Specialist Driver Resourcing and the dedication and visibility of Role Model drivers like Nerys Mitchell, the Construction Inclusion Coalition remains committed to fostering an environment where every individual, regardless of gender, can thrive in the industry.
