As part of the International Women’s Day and Women In Construction Week celebrations here at Darwin Group®, we sat down with Hayley Smith, Elizabeth Jenkins, and Betty Maguda to hear more about their journeys into the world of construction.
Hayley Smith is the Strategy and Transformation Director at Darwin Group. She leads the On-Demand modular healthcare solutions.
“Historically, construction has been a very male-orientated industry. But when I look around our office and our teams, it feels as though there are more women that are part of our organisation. So, it’s great to be part of an organisation which is helping to drive that change and celebrate a move away from what has previously happened in the industry.
Women will play a crucial role in driving these changes. As more women join the construction industry, they’ll bring diverse perspectives and skills. I’m proud to be part of this journey and to continue contributing to the positive impact we can make in healthcare construction.”
Elizabeth Jenkins is Head of Project Delivery at Darwin Group. She is responsible for heading up a Live Project Delivery team which combines the three disciplines of Design, Commercial and Construction, ensuring that high quality projects are delivered for our clients in line with their budgetary, programme and healthcare needs.
“I actually entered the construction industry unintentionally – I was drawn in by the inclusive environment here, the team spirit. I started at Darwin Group on the Commercial side and, after a few years, started to broaden out my focus to cross reference with both the Design and Construction sides. We all learn from each other here and seeing how other people have developed has spurred me on. Yes, construction can be a male-dominated environment, I have learnt a great deal from my colleagues and I have never once have I felt like anyone has viewed me differently.
Betty Maguda is a Site Manager here at Darwin Group. She is responsible for managing site activity and overseeing construction. When talking about her start in construction, she says: “From a young age, I was captivated by the building and construction world. My dad significantly influenced my interest in the industry, and I always found myself fascinated by tools like hammers and drills. After moving to England in 2012, I joined Darwin Group in 2018, which allowed me to turn my passion into a profession.”
“The best part of my job is that no two days are the same” says Betty, “the variety keeps me engaged. Each day brings new challenges, tasks, and experiences.”
“Construction is an exciting industry to be a part of,” says Elizabeth. “There isn’t a typical day, and that’s what I enjoy the most. Every day brings a new challenge, new bits and pieces you’ll find yourself exploring which leads into seamless development. My role is split between our office and sites – when you tell people about construction sites, they immediately have their own pre-conceptions but that wasn’t really something I was worried about. Over the years as my roles have changed, the Construction Site environment is one I am regularly in and despite being a very girly girl, I absolutely love it.”
“The nature of working with organisations in healthcare means there are ever-changing needs,” added Hayley, “so every customer requirement we get through the door at Darwin Group is completely different. As such, my role is incredibly varied, and I really enjoy that no two days are the same.
I’ve been really proud at Darwin Group to drive a change in the way we look at healthcare construction. Instead of being a construction company that works in healthcare, we are a healthcare company enabled by construction, so we’ve shifted to really look at it through the healthcare lens first and put the patient at the heart of everything we do.”
In fact, there are little wins every day, says Lizzie. “There have been lots of lovely moments, and sometimes, the little wins hit as hard as the big ones.
For my proudest achievement, I think I’ll say delivering the Orthopaedic Elective Hub and Community Diagnostics Centre at James Paget last year. On a personal level, I’m pretty proud of the project – I can see my own professional and personal growth here, too. Delivering such a great building and seeing how much it’s meant to so many is so positive.”
“As a site manager, my proudest moments are often when we successfully hand over a completed building,” says Betty. “It’s a culmination of hard work, overcoming various challenges and hiccups along the way. When that moment comes, it feels incredibly rewarding, like a sense of relief and validation that all the efforts were worth it.”
“If I could give advice to any girls or women out there who want to go into construction, it would be to look past the surface-level image,” says Hayley. “ While many people like to go outside on site, wear a hard hat, and get their boots muddy, it’s not all about that. My favourite bit about working in healthcare construction is living and breathing a build, actually seeing the reaction from patients, NHS staff and the community when a new estate is delivered. Witnessing the impact of how it can help them deliver better care so we can all live better lives is why I want to keep doing what we’re doing. “
Elizabeth says, “My biggest piece of advice to anyone interested in starting a career in Construction is to just give it a go! See what it’s like for yourself. From the outside some might expect that you have to be a certain way – look, talk, and act a certain way – but you really don’t. Here at Darwin Group especially, you can be whoever you want to be if you set yourself to it and work hard and people will accept and respect that.”
