Learn from Women in Civil Construction who share what its like to be a women working in Civil Construction in NSW
SPONSORS OF WOMEN IN CIVIL
Supporting women in the Civil Construction Industry
The civil construction industry is not a traditional vocation for women, but there is absolutely no reason it shouldn’t be. And that is already beginning to change. Young people, both men and women, are less willing to be locked in or out of careers.
The peak employer body in the industry, CCF NSW, has built a Women in Civil Program to help support and encourage more women to join and remain in the industry. The CCF NSW Women in Civil Program aims to do that, and it pulls together the following elements:
- A structured 10 month Mentoring Program (2021 will be our fourth year!)
- Facilitation of monthly networking forums through our Virtual Community initiative (a very regional NSW focus) to which guest speakers are invited.
- Identification and heralding of female ‘champions’, including the penultimate award of our annual Women in Civil Excellence Award. (This has actually been running since 2012)
- The launch of our www.careerincivil.com website which explains the roles in the industry and has a very deliberate focus on encouraging females to join the industry.
- Training and educating supervisors about managing a diverse workforce through our partner the Institute of Civil Infrastructure.
- Providing a package of tools and advice for employers to recruit and retain more females (some employers in the industry have little experience working with females in the operational side of the business).
- Our Employers for Women in Civil initiative, which asks employers to publicly commit to supporting women in their businesses with CCF NSW. If your business is interested in becoming a Champion, please get in contact with us.
WHY WORK IN THE CIVIL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY?
If you want a motivating career that provides the rewards of job satisfaction, excellent income potential, working with teams of people, plus further opportunities for professional advancement, then civil construction absolutely should be your career of choice.
Whether you enjoy working outdoors operating state-of-the-art equipment, planning and designing infrastructure projects, or jobs where caring for the environment is important, then the civil construction industry has a career path and job options to take you there.
It doesn’t matter where you begin, you can always advance your career in this industry.
Hear from some people who should know, and about some of the programs that are running to support women in the industry…
David Castledine, CEO of the peak body representing employers in the civil industry the Civil Contractors Federation NSW said:
“The dark ages are over. Women are as good if not better than men at this work. It is simply not correct to say women cannot perform ALL roles in our industry.”
Andrew Kennedy, Managing Director of Wagga-based company Kennedy Bros Earthmoving said:
“We have found girls make excellent operators…[they] look after the machinery better, not wanting to even put a scratch on it let alone bash the machine around with rough control movements…”
Kim Liddell, Managing Director of Non Destructive Excavations
Aside from running her own civil contracting business, Kim is on the Board of the industry’s peak employer body CCF NSW, and is Chair of the CCF NSW Women in Civil Sub-committee.
She said:
“The industry has changed a lot in the 12 years since I set up my civil business. It’s true there are still more men than women, but the gender balance is improving every day. I wholeheartedly encourage women of all ages to join this brilliant industry. It’s an accepting environment and an incredibly rewarding working experience.”
Employers who Champion Women
If you want to find or be employed by a business that is committed to supporting women in the civil industry, you have come to the right place!
Parents and women looking for work will no doubt look to see which employers are supportive of women. In a tough market, this is an opportunity to stand out as an employer of choice – but to receive that honour requires demonstrated commitment.
The employers below have demonstrated their support of women joining and remaining in our industry by signing a public commitment with CCF NSW.
As an Employer Champion for Women in Civil these employers have committed to the following:
- Support CCF NSW’s vision of equal gender participation in civil by 2050…50% by 2050
- Implement employment processes that proactively seek to encourage female applications and then consider women for all roles
- Implement ‘Equal pay for equal roles’ regardless of gender
- Constantly review internal and external communications such as intra office messaging and websites to ensure there is diversity in the imaging and language used
- Support and empower women in the workplace by participating in initiatives such as the CCF NSW Women in Civil Program
- Train staff in managing and supervising a diverse workforce
- Set and meet targets for participation of females employed in directly civil construction related roles
Choosing a business to work for or with is a big decision, so choose well…
Choose an employer that Champions Women in Civil