Glasgow designer's drive to get more women into senior construction roles

With 15 years’ experience under her belt, the Cambuslang woman heads up a small team at RSBi in Springburn, the manufacturing division of City Building.

Now, she has gone “back to school”, becoming the first woman at RSBi to study for a Masters in Business Administration, run in conjunction with Glasgow Caledonian University.

“I have just finished and passed first year,” she says, with relief.

“It’s been a great experience. It’s all distance learning, which is really flexible for me. I have a seven-year-old son, Cooper, and of course, work full-time, so being able to complete the coursework when I have time is really useful.

“It is a lot of work - weekends and a couple of nights during the week - but I’m already seeing the benefit of doing it. It has really opened my eyes to how the business works day-to-day.

“And from a personal point of view, I feel more confident about looking at other areas of City Building and thinking, is that a possibility, could I work towards that?”

At RSBi, Ms Scott is an assistant design manager in charge of a team of three - two product engineers and a kitchen designer - currently working on bathroom, kitchen and bedroom designs for new-build flats.

The MBA covers a range of subjects, from business continuity, particularly relevant in the current climate, Ms Scott points out, as it covers crisis management, plus strategic management, sustainability and climate change.

It was a “steep learning curve” at the start, Ms Scott admits.

“It’s been a while since I did any studying, and when you’re working full-time, and you have a seven-year-old who needs to get to football and rugby, it’s not easy,” she says.

“The support at Glasgow Caledonian is fantastic, but there were times when I really did think, am I up to this?”

Successfully completing her first year of the two-year qualification has given Ms Scott a confidence boost.

“My time-management has definitely improved,” she laughs.

“I see the course a something that will open doors for me. I can be a very experienced designer, confident in any design situation, but I also want to progress in the company.

“You can get comfortable in a role, when you do it for a long time, and there are always reasons for not doing something.  

“I really questioned myself before I agreed to do it – can I do this with a job, a house to run, a family? But then I thought, well, why not? Is there ever going to be a right time, and if I don’t do it now, will I regret it for the rest of my career?”

She laughs: “I have two young engineers in my team, and I’m always saying to them to take every opportunity that comes their way, so when this came up for me, I could hardly turn it down.”

Encouraging more women into senior roles at City Building is something Ms Scott feels strongly about. She is part of the company’s new Gender Equality in the Workplace group, set up by head of business support Lesley Quinn.

“It started as a conversation, really, between women in a variety of roles across the business,” explains Ms Scott.

“We shared our experiences, and some employees, particularly those in the trades who are out on site most of the time, said it was eye-opening for them because they hadn’t really been aware of the kinds of jobs available.

“We are working on improving communication, and making sure women realise that City Building provides a lot of support to help people remove the barriers that maybe stop them from applying for other roles, like family, or a lack of time, or having a house to run.”

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“It’s about opportunity,” she adds.

“The last couple of years have been a really hard time for everyone, and I know friends who have lost their jobs and don’t know what they will do next.

“So I feel very lucky to not only have a secure job, but to also get an opportunity like this to further my own education. I’m glad I was encouraged to do it.”