Freecity Construction has been named the winner of the National Association of Women in Construction’s (NAWIC) Industry Challenge, after the company achieved 100 per cent completion of the Male Allies Training across its entire construction team.
The Industry Challenge forms part of NAWIC’s national Allyship in Action: Transforming Culture to Attract and Retain Women initiative, which invited organisations across Australia’s construction and built environment sector to complete the training and demonstrate leadership in building safer, more respectful and inclusive workplaces.
Women currently make up approximately 13 per cent of Australia’s construction workforce, with only around 3 per cent working on the tools.
The free, national challenge was designed to engage men as active participants in shifting that reality, focusing not on prizes but on accountability, visibility and meaningful cultural change.
Participants worked through training covering how to recognise disrespect and bias, how to safely challenge harmful behaviour, and how to build the everyday habits that support psychological safety and inclusive teams.
Freecity Construction enrolled its entire construction team in the training, with every employee completing the program within the first six weeks of the challenge.
In total, the Industry Challenge attracted 65 organisations, with nearly 2,600 people now enrolled in the training.
Laing O’Rourke Australia, Duratec and Mott MacDonald, along with project partners CPB Contractors and ADCO Constructions, were recognised for the highest number of completions.
Allyship in Action is delivered with $5 million in funding from the Australian government’s Building Women’s Careers Program, in partnership with ADCO Constructions, CPB Contractors, the Australian Workers’ Union and Holmesglen Institute.
NAWIC CEO Cathryn Greville congratulated Freecity Construction, saying the achievement sends a clear message that respectful, inclusive culture starts at the top and is backed by every member of the team.
“With 65 organisations and nearly 2,600 people taking part, the Industry Challenge shows the appetite across our sector for practical, real action on culture, not just words.”
Greville also acknowledged Laing O’Rourke Australia, Duratec, Mott MacDonald, CPB Contractors and ADCO Constructions for their leadership in driving high completion numbers, calling it exactly the kind of industry-wide momentum Allyship in Action was designed to build.
Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles said the result reflected the intent behind the federal funding.
“This is exactly the kind of leadership the Building Women’s Careers Program is designed to support: creating safer, more respectful and more inclusive workplaces where women can enter, stay and thrive,” said Giles.
Giles said boosting women’s participation in construction was fundamental to addressing Australia’s skills needs, and that initiatives like Allyship in Action help break down barriers and create more opportunities for women in traditionally male-dominated industries.
Freecity Construction Director Sam Jenkins said the training reflected the company’s broader approach to how it operates on site, giving the team practical tools to recognise and challenge behaviours that have no place in the industry.
“We’re proud of how our team embraced the training, and we see this as another step in our ongoing commitment to fostering the culture we want to be known for.”
