Industry leaders are attempting to demolish gender barriers with the launch of a website aimed to “attract, support and promote” women in construction.
Developed in partnership between the Master Builders Association of New South Wales and the state government, Women Building NSW promises a wide range of resources and support for women and young girls eyeing up construction as a career.
Executive Director Brian Seidler said he hoped the “one-stop shop” of vital resources and support would help women pursue rewarding careers in what he described as a “dynamic sector”.
“As one of the largest sectors, with around 150,000 businesses employing around 400,000 people, the building and construction industry plays a crucial role in the growth and prosperity across every city, town and region in NSW,” said Seidler.
“But sadly, only 15 per cent of that workforce is made up of women, and as little as 3 per cent of tradies are women.
“This presents a massive opportunity for the future success of the industry with an untapped pool of the population who have an array of skills and talents to bring to the table.”
The resources hub will include a Job Guidebook covering 100+ careers and job opportunities for women in trade, business start-up booklets for establishing construction connections, information on upcoming pre-apprenticeship courses for school-aged students and mentors standing by to offer “support and guidance”.
For an industry known over the last 70 years for its mullet-wielding workforce of tough Aussie tradie men, Mr Seidler said the Women Building hub had been designed from the ground up to help women and parents of young girls easily approach the daunting career path.
“Unfortunately, vocational education still faces biases to its university cousin, especially in school, so this hub hopes to dispel some of the myths and showcase the rewarding opportunities for women,” he added.
Plugging up the tradie shortage
While the launch is another admirable attempt to close the industry’s gender gap, it’s clear the industry is scrambling to solve the long-bemoaned tradie shortages that placed a vice on the productivity pipeline since 2021.
With shovels only weeks away from breaking ground on the government’s wildly ambitious plan to build 1.2 million homes, Master Builders Australia predicts the industry will need to find 90,000 workers over the next five years to fulfil the campaign promise.
According to Mr Seidler, it’s women who “are the key to ensuring we can unlock the door to many more homes and deliver the vital infrastructure and commercial hubs communities are crying out for.”
NSW President Bob Black said the new Women Building hub and its “wealth of resources” would be vital to bridging this gap.
“It can be difficult to navigate all the various pathways available for women in the industry, which the hub aims to bring together,” he said.
