This article presents findings from a study of 14 heads of construction in further education colleges in England as they manage the transition of new construction lecturers from a culture of hypermasculinity to one of emotional labour and caring. It focuses firstly on the dilemmas faced by heads of construction at the recruitment stage before moving on to consider the difficulties faced by new lecturers as they change cultures and face the demands of administrative, academic and pedagogical challenges. The article concludes by discussing the implications of the research both for colleges and heads of construction themselves.