WFN’s Sarah Ball to discuss changing the face of trades

Sarah Ball, Co-Founder of the Women in Fenestration Network (WFN), will join industry leaders at the Diversity and Inclusion in Construction (DIIC) 2026 conference to discuss how specialist trades can attract a wider range of people and open up new career opportunities.

Taking place at the American Express Stadium in Brighton on 22 October, DIIC 2026 brings together construction professionals, employers, educators and future talent to explore how the built environment can become more diverse and inclusive.

Sarah will take part in Stage 5, Panel 1, Changing the Face of Trades: Specialist Contractor Pathways into Non-Traditional Careers.

The discussion will bring together representatives from glazing, fenestration, roofing and bricklaying, alongside expertise in employment, skills policy and equality, diversity and inclusion.

The panel will explore how people discover opportunities in specialist trades, the routes available into the industry and the barriers that can prevent under-represented groups from entering or progressing within construction.

For Sarah, the discussion is said to provide an opportunity to highlight the breadth of careers available across fenestration and the importance of making those opportunities more visible to people who may never have considered the sector.

“There’s a huge amount of opportunity within fenestration, but we need to make sure people know those opportunities exist and can see a way into the industry,” said Sarah,

“It’s not just about attracting more people into the industry. We also need to look at what happens once they get here, whether people have the opportunity to develop their skills, progress their careers and move into leadership roles.

“We need to make sure we’re not missing out on talented people simply because they don’t fit the traditional image of someone working in construction.”

The panel will also consider whether the current skills shortage presents an opportunity to broaden recruitment, how modern tools and working practices are challenging assumptions about physical strength, and what employers can do to make their workplaces more accessible and inclusive.

Sarah co-founded WFN with Sioned Yates to support women’s professional development, build connections and create opportunities for women across the fenestration supply chain.

Through networking, knowledge-sharing and professional development initiatives, the network aims to help women develop their careers and raise the profile of the contribution they make to the industry.

DIIC works to improve access to construction and engineering careers for women, disabled people and ethnic minorities, supporting individuals with guidance, mentoring, training and routes into employment.

Its work also highlights the importance of connecting employers with a broader pool of talent to help address the industry’s ongoing skills challenges.

Sarah’s participation in the panel is said to reflect the need for practical conversations across the built environment about how to widen access to careers, challenge outdated perceptions and create meaningful opportunities for people to join, develop and lead within specialist trades.

DIIC 2026 takes place on 22 October at the American Express Stadium, Brighton. For further information, visit https://diic.org.uk/.