Morley Female Smashing Glass Ceilings in Construction Industry becomes best-selling Author

Hailing from an all-girls high school in Batley where the construction industry was not promoted, Bethany encountered scepticism and discouragement from teachers and peers who couldn't fathom her career choice. She was bullied significantly and came from a single parent, working class background and was the first of her family to pursue further education. As a vocal advocate for women in the industry, she has faced vile online and face to face abuse and discrimination. Yet she remains undeterred, refusing to let detractors dim her passion and commitment to dismantling barriers and paving the way for future generations of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers.

Over the past 14 years, Bethany has dedicated herself to elevating the visibility of women in construction and apprenticeships. She has tirelessly advocated for gender equality, volunteering much of her personal time as a role model and mentor for aspiring professionals.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, Bethany's resolve only strengthened. In the face of potential redundancy, she seized the opportunity to further her education, enrolling onto a health and safety diploma, and then pursuing chartership all whilst juggling full-time work and a young child. Within a year her diploma was completed and she became chartered and was promoted into a senior leadership role, becoming the youngest member of her team at the time, and earning accolades for her determination and achievement.

Bethany is deeply committed to tackling the skills shortage by raising awareness of roles and training opportunity within the industry amongst young minds. As an ambassador for Not Going to Uni and other educational organisations and professional institutions, she tirelessly promotes alternative pathways into engineering and health and safety careers.

Her dedication has not gone unnoticed. Bethany's influence has been instrumental in shaping policies and programs within the wider construction industry. She’s written several articles and been interviewed for global outlets. She’s regularly been challenged as to why this matters so much beyond her day job – she sees the scale of issues around diversity, and the skills shortages and just rolls her sleeves up to get involved in fixing it – acknowledging this is a problem we as professionals all collectively ‘share’. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including a scholarship from the institution of civil engineers and being named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Women In the Construction Industry in both 2022 and 2023.

Undeterred by obstacles, she continues to push boundaries and challenge the status quo. Her latest endeavour—a groundbreaking children's book aimed at introducing key stage one children to the world of health and safety—exemplifies her innovative spirit and unwavering commitment to driving positive change.

Through the story of Frank (named after her son), Bethany seeks to instil safety consciousness from an early age, encouraging awareness that extends into everyday life from a young age on how to stay safe and look out for others.

‘Ultimately this is a story that was inspired by my son who always asks me questions about what I do all day when he is it at school. He was so curious, if I’d been on site I’d show him pictures of the plant and machinery I’d seen, or If I was writing a report I’d explain simply what it meant – so much so he wanted to talk about safety more and more. Health and Safety is such an interesting and engaging career – more should be aware of the fantastic opportunities it offers – we know that existing STEM work is targeting children too late – as they have already decided what they do and don’t like and gender bias sets in around age seven – I decided to target children that were my sons age and that were excited by everything!’

‘The construction industry is estimated to be around 16% female, with the H&S industry sat at around 21% - I want to show young girls that they have a place in this industry too’

Her journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, passion, and purpose. As she continues to break down barriers and inspire future generations, she solidifies her place as a trailblazer and visionary within the construction industry.

You can buy a copy of the Safety Superhero here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Safety-Superhero-Bethany-Holroyd/dp/1399987429?ref_=ast_author_dp

www.bethanyholroyd.com