Award-winning builder, Katie Smith is championing a career in the trades for women. Professional Builder’s Lee Jones talks to the Leicester-based bricklayer about her experiences.
Whilst women remain woefully underrepresented in the building industry, they are an even rarer commodity in the wet trades, and that makes Katie Smith AKA Katie ‘The Bricky Chick’ something of a trailblazer. Indeed, when she started working for Jelson Homes she would become the first female bricklayer in that developer’s 130-year history.
“I did really have to badger them into giving me a chance, to be honest, and I think they admired my persistence. It was an attitude that would pay off, however, because I would win a Prince’s Trust Young Achiever of the Year Award whilst in their employ.” Since then, her career has advanced even further with some very significant landmarks along the way, not least working on an installation at the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show 2019 alongside designer and RHS Ambassador, Jamie Butterworth. “We actually made history at that event by becoming the first in the show’s history to collect all four top awards for a show garden, including a Gold medal, as well as the Best Show Garden and Best Construction award, whilst we were also judged the public’s favourite with the People’s Choice Award. It’s the feature and bespoke work that really excites me and that’s what I’ve been concentrating on now.”
We asked Kate what initially drew her to a career in bricklaying in the first place? “My grandad was a bricklayer and I spent a lot of time with him growing up. It’s always a challenge but there something very rewarding about building a structure with your own hands and there’s instant gratification when it’s finished. In fact, people do underestimate just how creative bricklaying can be. If that were made clearer to young people you would find more male and female entrants wanting to give it a go.”
Currently on maternity leave, the artisan aspect of the trade has already taken Katie far and wide on a diverse range of projects from building and repairing chimneys for an old farmhouse in Norfolk, to a swimming pool surround at a luxury property in Guildford. It’s the kind of work the 32-year old is eager to return to, whilst she also has ambitions to move into property development. In fact, it is Katie’s determination and enthusiasm to progress which is evident, even in the face of negativity. “I’ve always had a mixed response to working in what is not a traditional female role,” she admits, “and if more women are to enter the trades then there’s no doubt they will need support to progress.”
“You need to be defined by being a bricklayer first and a woman second,” she concludes, “with the quality of your work the only measure of your value. When more people that look like me are seen on site hopefully that will happen but we’re not there yet. We need to get to a stage when we’re not a novelty because that in itself adds extra pressure.”
For further information on Katie ‘The Bricky Chick’ visit www.rdr.link
