We’re proud of the varied and senior roles occupied by women within our organisation – none more so than Projects Division - Operations and Health & Safety Manager Caitlin Highfield.
In the week we celebrated International Women’s Day, Caitlin reveals how taking a bar job in Bristol during her gap year and a chance opportunity saw her abandon a psychology and criminology degree and propelled her into a hugely successful career in the construction industry.
Caitlin joined #TeamSterling in 2018 after immigrating from South Africa. She has over 13 years of experience in health and safety within the construction sector and has worked on a variety of diverse projects.
This included ensuring the safety of employees and project teams at the 2010 World Cup final stadium - Soccer City in Johannesburg and various government depart buildings.
How it started
“I fell into this career by accident. I’d been studying a psychology and criminology degree at the University of South Africa – I was very interested in psychology and criminal profiling at that point.
“In 2007 I decided to take a break from my studies for a small period and take a gap year to the UK to gain some life experience.”
After a few months of travelling the UK, Caitlin found herself heading to Bristol, with her boyfriend at the time who is now her husband, to take up a bar job in Walkabout Bar on Corn Street in Bristol.
Caitlin said it was while working in the pub that she had her eyes opened to a career involving health and safety and employer responsibilities in terms of compliance.
“During my time at the Walkabout I was promoted to supervisor and part of my job role was to assist in meeting compliance requirements and assisting the auditing firms to complete audits on the premises as well as close out any items noted.”
With a taste for compliance standards and safety audits, Caitlin returned to South Africa in late 2007.
And the rest is history
In 2008 Caitlin joined Cold Air Projects (Ltd) spending 10 years at the company which specialises in large mechanical and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) projects.
Caitlin said she started as a Director’s PA which involved a lot of “filing and faxing back then… I’m giving my age away here”.
It was noticed after Caitlin joined the company that there was a gap in their Health and Safety System. As Caitlin had a small amount of experience in this department, she volunteered to work with a consultant to ensure compliance was upgraded to standard and that regulation requirements were met.
During this time Caitlin completed an NVQ Level 4 in Safety Management at the University of South Africa along with other relevant courses. She was quickly promoted to Health and Safety Manager within the company and spent 9 years redrafting and perfecting their safety systems.
Born leader
During her time as Safety Manager for Cold Air, Caitlin ended up leading a team of seven personnel who she enlisted and trained to be Safety Officers. These personnel were trained to manage the safety requirements on sites and understood the intricacies of the industry and projects. This team still works for the company today and is in regular contact with Caitlin to keep her updated on all their achievements.
The Sterling years
In 2018 Caitlin and her husband Chris moved to the UK, opting for Liverpool where Chris has family. Eight weeks later she joined the Sterling team. Caitlin joined the business to support Sterling with health and safety support, construction-based senior admin skills for the Quantity Surveyor and site manager.
She then became Health and Safety Manager for the projects division and is now being promoted again to the Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) Manager role which is for the entire company.
“I enjoyed gaining experience in these multiple disciplines and found that I gained a great understanding of all aspects of projects which in turn helped me to understand how our business comes together.”
“In 2019, I moved more into the Projects Division of Sterling, where the larger schemes and projects are managed. I was supporting the site managers by ensuring compliance on sites, coordinating sub-contractors, liaising with the client and supporting our own site staff. I work closely with all of the project teams in terms of safety.”
Why this career?
“I like that this sector is challenging; no two days or projects are ever the same, this allows me to continue to learn and challenge myself.”
Your message to other women thinking about a career in the construction industry?
“I would most certainly encourage women to join the construction sector as it is one of the most diverse and exciting sectors in the UK. If you are looking for a fast paced, everchanging and challenging environment, this industry is for you! Completing a project safely, on time, within budget and to the customers satisfaction is a great feeling and provides a sense of achievement.”
Find out more about working for us HERE…