A national mentoring program for women is set to boost the numbers of women working in the building and construction industry.
Building and construction is Australia’s second-largest industry according to Master Builders 2018 data, and it builds prosperity by providing employment for cities, towns and regions across the nation.
But with women currently making up only 11 per cent of the industry’s total workforce and only 1 per cent of building trades, the industry is missing out on the skills and talents of half the population.
CEO of Master Builders Australia, Denita Wawn, said that the number of women participating in building and construction remains low despite the industry presenting a fantastic opportunity for women to pursue secure, fulfilling and rewarding careers.
“Part of Master Builders Australia’s Women Building Australia initiative, the mentoring program will work to boost female participation by supporting women starting out in the industry,” she explained.
The program, which is funded by the Federal Government, follows the success of a pilot project developed and implemented by Master Builders in 2017/18. It’s an important investment in the future workforce and skills needs of the industry.
“Our industry needs an additional 300,000 people over the next decade, so this is about creating jobs now, and in the future, which will boost productivity and growth,” Ms Wawn said.
“It is also a pathway to improve the gender pay gap by encouraging more women into a male-dominated higher-paying industry,” she added.
Central to the program’s success is the involvement of both male and female mentors who are established in the industry and whose breadth of experience allows mentees to be matched with a mentor who can best support them.
Applications are now open across the country and close on 11 November 2019. Mentoring will commence in February 2020.
More information on the program can be found here.