Inspiring more girl
s and young people to start a career in construction
Underwood, mum of two, originally wanted to train as a mechanic. Now, the 28-year-old continues to enjoy working on roads, house sites and construction projects as a plant and HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicles) operator at her father’s firm.
Passion for construction
When Underwood first started looking for mechanic roles, she couldn’t land any opportunities. “I went around all the garages in Oban, but no one would take me on. My dad said: ‘You can work with me until you find something you want to do.’ And I never found anything else I wanted to do more.”
In 2012, she embarked on a plant operator apprenticeship with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) to obtain her machine licenses. Then, in 2019, she started her ‘The Digger Girl’ social media accounts to share her jobs and machinery with people with similar interests. Now, she is a role model to many young people and has received several awards.
Hyundai Construction Equipment and Rototilt are the latest firm to recruit her as a brand ambassador. She is recognised as one of the UK’s top 100 women in construction by the National Federation of Builders.
Women as builders
Underwood is motivated to continue using her social media platforms to end the stigma of female builders and encourage more girls to join the construction industry.
She admits: “When I was growing up, I had n