A new initiative designed to support young women to explore careers in construction has launched with the backing of more than 50 Australian property, construction and design practices.<\/p>\n
A media communique from the initiative, which is titled \u201cTomorrow\u2019s Women in Construction\u201d (TWIC), notes that their aim is to tackle \u201cone of the key barriers to female participation in the industry: the \u2018you can\u2019t be what you can\u2019t see\u2019 phenomenon.\u201d<\/p>\n
For interested year-10 female students, TWIC guarantees a one-week work experience placement with professional support and mentoring at a matched construction industry organisation.<\/p>\n
The program aims to counter common beliefs about the construction industry, such as jobs being exclusively on-site, by introducing female students to the stories of women working in a diverse range of construction-related professions, including feasibility, planning, design, law, engineering and sustainability. According to the media release, \u201cThese 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis initiative is about visibility and access,\u201d said TWIC co-founder Kat Kister. \u201cThe desire to create a more gender-equitable workforce is stronger than ever. We\u2019ve gone from symbolic gestures on International Women\u2019s Day to real, tangible action \u2013 nearly 50 companies signed up in the first week alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the media communique, companies that sign up to host placements \u201care guided on how to create a positive, empowering experience for students \u2013 from planning age-relevant tasks to preparing their teams to mentor effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n
The initiative, which was founded by a group of women working in architecture, engineering, building and project management in Sydney, has received support from founding partners including AJC Architects, Architectus, Group GSA and FJC Studio.<\/p>\n
TWIC co-founder and structural engineer at Northrop Isabel Duffy commented, \u201cThis is a collective industry movement. We\u2019re showing young women that they don\u2019t have to change who they are to belong in construction \u2013 there is a place for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n