More than 50 Australian construction, property and design firms have signed up to a new organisation that supports female high school students to explore careers in construction.
Set up by a group of professional women working in engineering, architecture, building and project management in Sydney, the program’s aim is to counter the common belief that jobs are exclusively on-site in the construction industry.
The aim of Tomorrow’s Women in Construction (TWIC) is to tackle one of the key barriers to female participation in the industry, the phenomenon of ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’.
One way of doing this is by providing year-10 female students with a guaranteed one-week work experience placement with professional support and mentoring at a matched construction organisation.
The plan is to introduce students to the stories of women working in the diverse range of construction-related professions such as planning, design, feasibility, engineering, sustainability and law.
“These stories are designed to engage young women at a critical point in their career decision-making journey, encouraging them to see themselves in roles they may not have previously considered,” TWIC stated.
TWIC was founded by structural engineer Isabel Duffy of CIA Bronze member Northrop Consulting Engineers, and Kat Kister, an architect and project manager. They are backed by a large committee and board of women professionals plus an army of supporters.
Ms Kister said the initiative is about visibility and access and the desire to create a more gender-equitable workforce is stronger than ever.
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