A pink Bobcat excavator has been donated to a manufacturing jobs hiring firm in the UK as a means of raising breast cancer awareness.
The Bobcat E14 compact excavator — which was painted pink, the color associated with breast cancer awareness — was donated jointly by Promac Solutions Ltd and Doosan Construction Equipment to L Lynch Plant Hire Ltd, a firm that helps match manufacturing workers with jobs.
For the next year, the vehicle will be towed on a specially made pink transport trailer to hiring fairs, trade shows and other events in order to promote awareness and solicit donations for breast cancer charities.
At the end of the year, the excavator will be auctioned off, with the proceeds going to breast cancer research.
Using construction equipment to promote breast cancer awareness serves a dual purpose, according to Mark Kennedy, the hiring firm’s director.
“While just over one in ten of the UK construction workforce is female, women make up only 1% of the manual trades, and the amount which make up machine operators like grabs or excavators doesn’t even register,” Kennedy told the UK materials handling website HUB. “Our industry needs to do more and work harder to dispel the myth that women are not for construction related jobs. Our future success depends on good people — whether they are female or male.”