A bad ad for construction

Your last issue included an editorial on why we need women in construction, along with the article on the Simons Group’s target of 50% female staff. All very commendable I’m sure. But in the same issue we have Tony Martin describing working for a demanding client (his own company) and extolling the virtues of the industry.

What a great advert for the industry then that, by his own admission, the project dominated his life for almost 18 months, cost him sleepless nights, no holidays or weekends, some of his hair and caused him to resume smoking. As a parent of an 11-year-old daughter who will soon be considering her career options, am I going to recommend a life in construction based on this evidence? You tell me!