Made in Essex: How Rebecca Rickwood Is Rewriting the Rulebook for Construction Careers
From a passion project during lockdown to a national programme changing lives, Gement is helping thousands of people, particularly young talent, step into the construction industry with confidence, clarity and support.
In this episode of Made in Essex, Jill Willis sits down with Rebecca Rickwood, founder of Gement, to explore how the organisation is helping to reshape perceptions of construction, make space for underrepresented talent, and build a culture where people feel they truly belong.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation here.
Building Awareness, One Workshop at a Time
Rebecca launched Gement in 2021, driven by a single question: why wasn’t construction doing more to attract and support new talent – especially women, young people, and those from underrepresented backgrounds?
Her answer was action. She began running free workshops at UK universities, showing students that you don’t need to be an engineer to work in construction. From business grads to creatives, she opened eyes to the breadth of opportunity.
“People just didn’t know the roles existed,” she explains. “We’ve helped 750,000 students see where they might fit, and why they belong.”
Social Impact with a Business Backbone
Gement is now backed by funding from CITB and partners with 35+ educational institutions. But much of its work is still unfunded, driven by a mission to “make the industry better than how we found it.”
One example? A participant struggling with addiction and homelessness. Six months later: employed, sober, supported.
“We didn’t just help someone find a job, we helped them find a future,” Rebecca says.
Burnout, Breakthroughs and Rebuilding Balance
Like many founders, Rebecca admits she pushed herself to the brink in the early days – working 18-hour days, sacrificing rest for results. It wasn’t until a sudden illness left her bedbound that she reconsidered her approach.
“I had to ask: if this is my life now, what do I want it to look like?”
The answer included flexible hours, Friday early finishes and a culture of kindness – values now woven through Gement’s internal team structure.
Leading with Kindness and Clarity
Every Gement hire shares one thing in common: kindness. It’s the word every team member uses to describe themselves, and the foundation Rebecca believes powers their impact.
She’s now focused on building a team that complements her strengths, stays true to the mission, and delivers support that’s accessible to everyone, whether you’re fresh out of school or returning to the workforce.
Rebecca Rickwood was talking to Jill Willis, Director of Attract & Engage and host of the Made in Essex Podcast.
Catch the full episode here or listen wherever you get your podcasts.👇
Keep your eyes peeled for more episodes as Jill invites the county’s most tenacious and successful business leaders to lift the bonnet on their entrepreneurial stories.
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