One of Scotland's most deprived areas is to benefit from a £120 million regeneration scheme, with some of the rebuilding being done by women from the estate.

Raploch, a notorious estate in Stirling, has been taken over by an urban regeneration company, one of six operating in some of Scotland's worst housing estates.

It was commissioned in 2004 by the Executive to help public and private bodies invest in new homes and community facilities and help local people find jobs. The idea has proved more popular than many controversial PFI projects.

A team of newly qualified tradeswomen will assist in the building work when the first bricks are laid later this month in the project to deliver 900 new homes and three new schools. The Raploch Urban Regeneration Company was last week handed the 62 acre site by Stirling Council.

Mary Graham, 39, is one of the success stories of the Breaking The Mould scheme, which provides apprenticeships to unemployed women in Raploch.

She told the Sunday Herald: "I was really stuck in a rut until this chance came along. I always wanted to get a trade, so when I was asked if I wanted to do stonemasonry I jumped at the chance. I wouldn't be the person I am today without this. It has changed my whole outlook on life."

Mary had been estranged from her 16-year-old daughter, but a job with an Aberdeen construction company has helped forge a reunion. "We're back on track now," said Mary. "Madison loves what I'm doing and comes to the site on Saturdays. She wants to do engineering at college now."

Some 10% of the UK's construction workforce are women, but only 1% are involved in trades, the rest being clerical or administrative staff. It is hoped women can help fill the shortage of skilled labourers in the construction industry.

Community development manager Pamela Brown set up the scheme at Raploch to challenge gender perceptions about building work, sending 12 women through Scottish Qualifications Authority-certified courses at Forth Valley College in Falkirk. She said: "We'd like to remove barriers and see more opportunities available for women who want this kind of employment. We're delighted to see so many of them get work already, but we need more employers to come forward and give women a chance."

George Wimpey Homes has taken on three of the scheme's female joiners, including Alison Lennox, 37, who will soon start work on the new houses in Raploch. She said: "It'll be nice to see the area rising from the ashes, and knowing it's for local people gives me a lot of pride. I can show my two children and say I built that house'.

"It's given me a new lease of life. You just muck in and all the guys have been brilliant about working with a women. A lot of my friends with office jobs say they wish they could do it."

Paul Sykes, of training body Construction Skills, believes there are plenty of women keen to get their hands dirty. He said: "Our evidence shows that young women want to work in our industry but that careers advice is not in step with the modern industry or the aspirations of young women themselves. As an industry, we are taking the step of talking directly to young women to show them the range of amazing jobs on offer."

Pamela Brown said: "The Scottish Executive is looking at a lot of what we are doing with the possibility of extending it to other regeneration schemes."

Archie Stoddart, director of Shelter Scotland, welcomes developments that ensure new housing for local people. "Urban regeneration companies certainly have a positive contribution to play in ensuring people have good- quality, affordable accommodation," he said. "We need to utilise as many opportunities as we can to ensure we see the necessary increase in the provision of social rented housing in Scotland."