A bricklaying student at North Kent College is building strong foundations for her future by combining studying at the College with working on a major housing development in Ebbsfleet.
Mollie Thomas splits her time between the College’s Gravesend campus and Bellway’s Harbour Village, where 500 homes are being built.
Coming from a family with a background in the trades, Mollie didn’t initially apply to study bricklaying.
“I actually first applied to study electrics,” she laughs. “But the course was full, so I thought I’d try bricklaying for a year — and I ended up loving it too much to switch.”
Now a familiar face at both the College and on-site, Mollie credits North Kent College for laying strong foundations. “It’s a really practical course — it’s hands-on and focused,” she says. “The facilities are good and the support from staff is amazing. If I’m ever unsure, I know I can ask and get help.”
When she began working on site Mollie immediately noticed the standards that were expected: “You’ve got to be bang on, you have to keep checking your work,” she says. “It is using everything we learn at College, but in a stricter sense.”
And despite only joining the site team three months ago, Mollie is already looking further ahead, saying: “Once I’ve been with the company long enough and they’re confident in my work, they’ll put me through my NVQ. They’ll cover the costs, and I’ll work alongside them while studying.”
Working in a traditionally male-dominated industry doesn’t faze her either. In fact, Mollie sees herself as a quiet but powerful example for other young women thinking of entering construction.
“There’s this idea that you’ll be treated differently or get catcalled, but it’s really not like that,” she says. “If you’re good at your work and willing to learn, that’s what matters. Being a woman on site is empowering. I’d love to see more girls coming into trades.”
And Mollie is already starting to notice change, she adds: “It is nice to see there is a girl on the Level One bricklaying course. When I first started it was all boys on my course, but it is nice to see girls coming onto the other courses too - it shows the industry is opening up.”
As for the future, Mollie has her sights set on progression. “I know bricklaying is physically demanding, so long-term I’d like to move into site management,” she explains. “That way I can stay on the tools for now, but also grow into a leadership role later on.”
Simon Willins, Head of Curriculum, Construction and Built Environment at North Kent College, says: “Mollie’s story will be true for many young people who have a preconception of what to expect in construction, and find when they try it, they realise how rewarding it is.
It is engaging and interesting as well as a secure future. Earnings are attractive at around £40-£50k a year for someone with moderate experience and the working conditions are much different to twenty years ago.”
The battle we have is that too many outstanding craftspeople like Mollie pass us by because of preconception and gender bias. Construction is a great career for anyone prepared to master the skills needed, and that starts here at college.”
North Kent College runs a number of construction courses, based at its Gravesend and Hadlow campuses.
There are dedicated facilities for Brickwork, Painting and Decorating, Carpentry and Multitrades, and all courses are delivered in workshop environments that replicate the experience of working in the chosen industry.
The College also has strong links with local employers, businesses and trade outlets, and a great record for getting students on to apprenticeships with reputable companies.
Additionally staff are all from industry, highly qualified, and use their experience to give students the best support and start to their future.
You can find out more by visiting the Construction courses page of the North Kent College website.