Jemma Sykes

On leaving school keen to train as a joiner, Jemma Sykes (29) discovered that securing an apprenticeship wasn’t an easy task.  After attending several interviews without success, she decided that she needed to get some experience in the industry.  She said, “I knew I wanted to train as a joiner and wasn’t going to give that up easily so I looked into gaining experience through education and the Construction Crafts course at NESCol looked ideal.”   

The year-long course confirmed Jemma’s ambition to train in joinery.  She said, “One of the best things about the course was having the opportunity to gain experience in the different construction trades and broaden my knowledge of the industry as a whole.” 

Jemma’s efforts on the course were rewarded when she was invited to the College’s annual Construction Crafts and Plumbing Awards Ceremony to be presented with the David Murray (UCATT) Shield after impressing lecturers with her dedication and ability.   

When the course finished, Jemma was delighted to be offered a position with Barratt Homes.  She said, “The course gave me the experience and knowledge I needed to stand out amongst the other applicants for an apprenticeship.”  

Now four years on from the end of her college course, Jemma is finishing her apprenticeship and hopes to build a career in the construction industry.  She said, “I’ve often been asked what it’s like being a woman in a traditionally male environment but it’s never been an issue for me and I’ve noticed an increasing number of women across the trades during my training.  Anyone can do anything they want and they can be great at it. But you have to really want it and be willing to work harder than you ever have before.” 

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