Woman builder at SME gathering
Builders - 26/06/2007 16:50:17
A woman who started her own firm after harbouring dreams of becoming a plasterer is set to pass on her advice to budding entrepreneurs at a small business summit.
Janet Shelley MBE, is to speak to delegates at the second Small Firms Summit organised by the Forum of Private Business (FPB) later in the year.
She left the IT industry at the age of 37 to go into the building trade, setting up Women Builders to encourage more females to join the industry.
At the summit Ms Shelley will discuss the difficulties for a smaller firm in winning public sector contracts.
She will also talk about her own business which carries out housing extensions and building maintenance work, as well as training women builders.
"The government says it wants more women to enter manual trades," Ms Shelley said.
"But most women who plan to go into the building trade are older and there is little opportunity for them to train."
Sponsored by Barclays Bank and held at Central Hall in Westminster, the summit will feature workshops through which small firms can share and express opinions about government policy and regulations.