As the UK’s largest privately owned drainage contractor, we want more women to apply for roles within the drainage sector. 

In the twelve-month period between February 2020 and February 2021, just under 16% of applicants that applied for roles within the business identified as female - a total of 334. 

Breaking the data down further, we found that applicants with the title Miss, Mrs or Ms were most likely to apply for office-based roles. When it came to onsite positions, including drainage engineers, drivers and jetting assistants, the number of female applicants fell by half to an average of 1.5 per vacancy. 

Discussing the findings, Debi Bell, Head of HR Services at Lanes Group, said: “The data clearly shows that there is a major discrepancy between the number of men and women eager to build a career in the drainage sector. 

“It really isn’t uncommon for us to see only a single female applicant within a wide talent pool and we want to change this. At Lanes, we work hard to ensure that all our employees feel valued and are equipped with the necessary skills and training to help them develop and grow. With such a wide variety of roles and career paths to pursue, the UK drainage industry really should be considered by anyone looking for a challenging and rewarding role.”

Employing more than 2,200 staff across 25 depots throughout the UK, Lanes Group prides itself on offering its staff a range of industry-leading benefits, including childcare support and shift patterns that are designed around an individual’s needs.

Gender is no barrier to a long and successful career at Lanes, and we employ a large number of women in the field of engineering. Discover the work we do with female engineers here at Lanes.

Lanes Group is currently recruiting for almost 100 roles across the country. With a turnover of over £200 million, we are proud to provide long-term employment and development opportunities for employees at every stage of their career. 

To learn more about the role on offer and what a career at Lanes Group might look like for you, check out our current job vacancies today.

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