Women in Construction Week is a chance to recognise the women building careers across construction, quarrying and heavy plant. It is also an opportunity to highlight the organisations that are supporting that progress.
At Mando Solutions, we are proud to work with operators who not only bring skill to site, but who also demonstrate professionalism, safety awareness and a strong work ethic.
One of those people is Jade Hall.
Since joining Mando in 2021, Jade has developed from a new operator with limited site experience into a trusted team member working on major sites. Her journey shows what can happen when someone is given the opportunity to learn, develop and prove themselves.
From Interior Design Graduate to Plant Operator
Jade did not originally plan a career in construction.
After completing her interior design degree at university, she realised that a desk-based career was not the right fit.
“I was bored of sitting at a desk all the time. Everything was computer-based and I’d done that since college. I just wanted something different.”
Looking for a new direction, Jade spoke to her dad, who had experience in the industry and knew the opportunities that construction could offer.
With his guidance, Jade completed training on ADT machines and began looking for work. That is when she first connected with Mando Solutions.
Although she had very little practical experience at that stage, Mando gave her the opportunity to get started on site. That opportunity came with training and operational support to ensure Jade could develop her skills safely while gaining confidence in a live site environment.
“They gave me the chance to operate with little to no experience, which a lot of companies don’t do.”
With that support in place, Jade was able to begin building her skills and confidence on site.
Developing Skills and Experience on Site
Construction had always been somewhere in the background for Jade. Her grandfather had been a plant operator who trained others, and many of the men in her family worked in the sector.
Even so, it was only once she started working on site that she realised how much she enjoyed it.
Over the last few years, Jade has steadily developed her technical skills as an operator while also expanding her experience across different machines. With guidance and support from the site teams she has worked with, alongside Mando, she has gained experience on articulated dump trucks and is now working towards her loading shovel ticket.
But technical ability is only one part of the story.
One of the areas where Jade has really stood out is her commitment to health and safety.
Leading by Example on Health and Safety
On site, safety is not just a box-ticking exercise. It relies on people who are proactive, observant and willing to speak up when something does not look right.
Jade has become well known for exactly that.
Through proactive reporting and near miss submissions, she has played an active role in improving site safety standards. Within the business, these reports are known as CPIs and form an important part of continuous improvement.
Her commitment has not gone unnoticed.
Senior leaders have recognised the quality and consistency of her reporting, highlighting the role she plays in identifying risks and helping prevent incidents before they happen.
“I always try to put near misses in whenever I see anything. It’s important to report things when you spot them.”
This proactive mindset is exactly the type of behaviour that responsible contractors and clients want to see on their sites.
It also reflects the values that Mando Solutions promotes across the workforce we supply.
Stepping Up into a Supervisory Role
Jade’s attention to safety, combined with her growing site experience, led to another opportunity.
She was asked to step into a supervisory role on a major project. While it was a step up in responsibility, Jade was supported with guidance, training and management oversight, helping ensure the project was delivered safely and successfully.
Her first assignment was supervising operations on a site in Ripon for a blue chip client. Although she had previously worked there as part of a team, this time she would be responsible for leading the work herself.
Naturally, that came with some nerves.
“I was really scared at first. But once I got to know everyone on the team, I realised it wasn’t as bad as I thought.”
With the support of the wider team and clear processes in place, Jade quickly grew in confidence and settled into the role.
In reality, Jade had already been demonstrating many of the skills needed for the role. Even while operating machinery, she was constantly aware of what was happening around her and willing to step in if something did not look safe.
“I think I was already doing the things I needed to do before I was given the role. I just needed the confidence to implement it.”
That confidence quickly grew.
The feedback from site management was extremely positive, with the core manager praising both Jade’s performance and the quality of the workforce supplied through Mando.
In fact, the client specifically requested that Jade return to supervise when the project continued. That kind of feedback is the best possible endorsement of both the individual and the agency supporting them.
Building Confidence and Looking Ahead
Experiences like that have helped Jade develop confidence in her own abilities.
Supervising teams, managing work packs and maintaining clear communication across the site are all responsibilities she now feels comfortable handling.
Looking ahead, she wants to keep developing.
Her immediate goal is to gain more machine tickets, including a loading shovel qualification. At the same time, she is interested in taking her health and safety involvement further.
“I’d like to push that side more and maybe get some qualifications in health and safety.”
She is also open to continuing in supervisory roles as she gains more experience.
It is a natural progression for someone who already demonstrates strong awareness of site operations, team coordination and safety leadership.
A Long-Term Partnership
Jade’s journey also highlights the importance of support and partnership within the construction industry.
From giving her the initial opportunity to gain experience with the right training and support in place, through to supporting her progression into supervisory work, Mando Solutions has been part of that journey.
And for Jade, that relationship is something she values.
“Mando are a well-established company and they’ve got a good name for themselves. They’re just a nice company.”
It is exactly the type of long-term relationship that Mando aims to build with both clients and candidates. Supporting people to develop their careers while delivering skilled, reliable operators to site.
Celebrating Women in Construction
Stories like Jade’s show that there is no single route into construction.
People come from different backgrounds, different experiences and different career paths. What matters most is the opportunity to learn, the willingness to work hard and the support of organisations that recognise potential.
During Women in Construction Week, it is important to celebrate the women already making an impact across the industry.
Jade Hall is one of them.
Her journey from graduate to plant operator and supervisor shows what can happen when opportunity, determination and support come together.
For Mando Solutions, it is another example of what delivering value through people really means. Supporting individuals to develop their skills while helping clients maintain high standards of safety and performance on site.
