A new campaign to get more women into the construction industry has been developed by the Department of Housing and Public Works.
As part of the campaign, 21 female school students met female tradies working on the QBuild social housing construction site.
The project is a partnership between the Department and the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).
Minister for Public Works and Procurement, Mick de Brenni said it was fitting to have the special guests on site during Queensland Women’s Week where the theme was Celebrate Our Present. Own Our Future.
“Secure, well-paid jobs should be jobs for everyone, and the Government is serious about getting more women into roles in this $45 billion industry,” Mr de Brenni said.
“You can’t be what you can’t see, so by introducing these aspiring young tradies to female professionals, we are helping to cement their career aspirations in construction.”
He said the percentage of women in trades has been between two and three per cent for a long time, but was now almost five per cent.
Minister for Women, Shannon Fentiman said the construction project was a huge step forward for greater gender equality across Queensland workforces.
“In Australia, electricians, carpenters and plumbers represent one-third of all construction trades and we want women to be able to take advantage of these jobs, just like anyone else,” Ms Fentiman said.
“We’re aiming to boost the current five per cent female participation in Queensland’s building industry.”
She said the aim was to go even better than NAWIC’s target of 11 per cent, noting that at the QBuild site female involvement was at 30 per cent.
