Women considering a future in construction can now access all the help they need to get started in the building industry, thanks to a new online platform.
Master Builder New South Wales teamed up with the NSW Government to launch the new site, which will serve as a digital hub for women to start loading up their construction careers.
The one-stop shop will help provide women, girls, parents and employers with all the resources, support and advice they require while considering a trade.
The new website, Women Building NSW, went live earlier this week as part of industry and government’s latest attempt to refresh the industry’s lagging worker numbers.
With female workers making up less than 13 per cent of the entire construction industry and only 2 per cent of tradespeople, It’s no secret that trades have always been a heavily male-dominated line of work.
Many organisations have previously introduced various programs and initiatives to counteract the low female participation rates. However, most have yet to have a significant impact.
But experts believe attracting more female workers to Australia’s construction industry is now essential, as the nation struggles to find enough tradies to build its way out of the current housing crisis crippling the country.
Master Builders NSW Executive Director Brian Seidler says the online digital platform will allow the industry to tap into an under-utilised tradie filling resource by attracting more female workers into construction careers.
“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, he said.
“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.”
Mr Seidler says bringing in more female trade workers will become essential for the nation to dig itself out of the housing crisis hole, as the federal government targets constructing 1.2 million new homes by the end of the decade.
“Women 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,” Mr Seidler said.
The online hub will feature detailed job guidebooks covering more than 100 construction careers alongside advice for parents, educators and advisors.
Users can access information on possible apprenticeship opportunities, other training resources, and business education.
Mr Seidler says building the web-based support network was vital to giving female tradies every chance to construct a successful career in a historically male-centric sector.
“We know the premise of working in a male-dominated industry can be daunting for parents of young girls who might be interested in the trades, so we want to make sure there are appropriate support networks available and clear information on the opportunities,” he explained.
“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.”
Master Builders NSW President Bob Black says the hub’s resources would help bridge the gap female tradies face when trying to enter the workforce.
“It can be difficult to navigate all the various pathways available for women in the industry, which the hub aims to bring together.”
What’s on the digital hub?
- Detailed job guidebook for over 100+ careers.
- Business start-up booklets for women.
- Information for parents, teachers, and career advisors.
- Information on upcoming pre-apprenticeship courses and apprenticeships.
- Employment opportunities for girls and women.
- Resources for employers to recruit, retain, and support women.
- Register of female-led businesses in the building and construction industry.
- Women ambassadors and mentors offering support and guidance.
- Gender awareness and anti-discrimination education.
More resources to help fix gender imbalance:
The education hub is the latest resource in a wave of assistance to drive up female tradie numbers in the next few years.
Last week, Build-it revealed how lady tradies could now access 60 new fee-free training placements across three “microskill” courses from industry training organisations.
The courses centre on topics experts say are “critical for building capability in construction” now and into the future, such as Introduction to Women in Construction, Introduction to Sustainability in Construction and The Role of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Construction.
The extra help comes after Master Builders Australia put out a rallying cry to unite the nation in a proactive push to bring practical solutions to the challenges faced by women in the construction industry.
The industry body released a new policy platform late last year in a bid to ignite meaningful discussion and change for what is described as a “critical issue”.
The Breaking Ground: Women in Building and Construction manifesto proposed several ideas to boost lacklustre female participation and retention numbers holding the industry back.
The proposed policy changes are centred around increasing interest and construction course commencement levels among school leavers while also targeting cultural change within workplaces to provide additional support for women on the tools.
Whare are the Master Builders proposed policy changes?
- Unbiased career guidance
- Access to career information for parents
- Better culture and safety practice
- Better support and flexibility for tradie mums
- Increased support for network and mentoring groups.
- More funding allocated to programs, education, and facilities.
Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said the construction industry brings in more lady tradies to help meet housing and infrastructure targets over the coming decades.
“As one of the biggest sectors in the economy, the building and construction industry employs over 1.3 million Australians, but a female participation rate of (under) 15 per cent with only 3 per cent on the tools is simply not good enough,” she said.
“Workplace shortages are putting immense pressure on our ability to meet housing targets, and Master Builders believes women will play a vital role in rectifying that.”
“Increased female participation has many benefits; it lifts productivity, boosts the economy, facilitates financial independence, assists in developing an inclusive and diverse culture and meets the much-needed workforce shortages the building and construction industry is facing.”
