To mark International Women’s Day, Mountsorrel Quarry welcomed female students from Humphrey Perkins School to the site as part of a careers event designed to inspire young women and challenge stereotypes about future careers in construction and the wider materials sector.
During the visit on Tuesday 24 February, 10 students from the school in Barrow upon Soar attended sessions featuring female guest speakers working across areas including sustainability, land management and AI.
The sessions focused on sharing personal career journeys, highlighting transferrable skills, and demonstrating how careers in construction and materials can contribute positively to communities and the environment. Students were then taken on a guided tour of the site to help bring these careers to life.
The event, organised by Tarmac’s Female Voice Community alongside the operational team at Mountsorrel Quarry, formed part of the company’s wider commitment to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion, and to engaging with young people about the breadth of careers available across the industry.
Vanessa Saunders from Tarmac’s Female Voice Community, said “it was great to see the girls have the opportunity to explore such an important part of their local economy that they usually don’t get to see. I think we have successfully lifted the lid on the industry and hopefully sparked an interest that will lead to them considering a career path in construction in the future.”
One of the students who attended commented “There are more jobs than I thought. It surprised me how many there were and all the different roles” with another noting “You can tell how much the team all love their jobs”. The teacher added “the way the staff engaged with the students was fantastic… I hope the students have gained a new perspective on what Tarmac has to offer”.
Carl Ashurst, Operations Director at Mountsorrel Quarry, said “the event was an important opportunity to open up the site and the industry to younger audiences”.
“Mountsorrel Quarry plays a nationally significant role in supplying essential construction materials and is also a major local employer, with a strong focus on early careers, apprenticeships and skills development. By working with the Female Voice community and engaging directly with schools, we hope to encourage more young women to consider a wide range of future careers, including engineering, construction and environmental management.”
International Women’s Day is marked annually on 8 March and celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, while calling for continued progress towards gender equality.
In 2025, women represented just over 17% of the workforce across Tarmac, with higher representation in professional and functional roles. Encouraging greater participation across all areas of the business is an ongoing priority, and initiatives such as this careers event form part of that wider commitment.
