BMD Group and non-profit UNIQ You have expanded their partnership in Western Australia to help push more young women to explore careers in construction, engineering, trades and STEM.
The female-only career conversations program aims to bridge the state’s widening industrial skills gap. The partnership aims to dismantle gender stereotypes by connecting girls in Years 9 to 12 with female mentors currently working in male-dominated sectors.
While Western Australia leads the nation with 17.4 per cent female participation in construction, the engineering sector tells a different story, with women making up a mere 13 per cent of the workforce.
Current projections from Engineers Australia suggest that without significant intervention, gender parity in the field is still roughly 70 years away. The UNIQ You program seeks to accelerate this timeline by offering one-on-one career conversations with industry advisors.
“At BMD, we know the future of our industry depends on attracting people with different skills, experiences and perspectives,” said Jeff Gallus, Executive General Manager, BMD Constructions.
“We’re backing a proven program that builds confidence and career visibility for girls, while helping industry address skills shortages and create a more inclusive workforce pipeline.“
The program is expected to reach over 4,000 students across 150 schools nationally, supported by 20 BMD advisors.
A feature of the WA expansion is a co-designed First Nations Initiative, which focuses on increasing representation and providing culturally relevant role models for Indigenous women in regional and remote communities.
UNIQ You CEO Val Ridley emphasised the importance of visibility in career drafting.
“You can’t be what you can’t see,” Ridley said.
“When girls have a real conversation with a woman working in engineering or construction, it expands what feels possible and that can change study pathways and ultimately workforce participation.”
By providing a direct line to the lived experience of women in STEM and trades, the program hopes to create a more inclusive pipeline for the state’s massive infrastructure and resources sectors.