Lendlease exceeding expectations with women working on Northern Connector Project

Lendlease exceeding expectations with women working on Northern Connector ProjectWomen are being employed at almost twice the national rate on the $985 million Northern Connector Project, which continues to set new standards for recruitment and local participation.More than 21% of positions across a range of roles – such as civil engineering, plant operation, safety, environment and administration – have so far been filled by women compared to the national average of 11.7% for the construction industry.Five women are among 11 engineers recruited in the project’s first graduate intake for 2017.As major construction ramps up, 117 people have been employed by the head contractor Lendlease, with 98 positions filled through NorthHub – a one-stop on-site jobs, education and training centre created specifically for the project.To date, approximately 94% of all on-site labour hours are being completed by South Australian residents with approximately 53% coming from the northern suburbs.More than a third of staff are from key target groups including local people with barriers to employment, displaced automotive workers, Aboriginal people and apprentices and trainees, and investment in upskilling and training.The Northern Connector is expected to support approximately 480 jobs a year during construction, with more jobs becoming available as the works program increases.Background The Northern Connector will be a six-lane, 15.5 kilometre motorway providing a vital freight and commuter link between the Northern Expressway, South Road Superway and Port River Expressway. The project is exceeding local participation requirements including:At least 90% of all on-site labour hours to be undertaken by South Australians.At least % of all jobs to be filled by northern suburbs residents.At least 20 % of all on-site labour hours to be undertaken by trainees and apprentices, Aboriginal workers and people facing barriers to employment.The Australian Government is committing $788 million to the project, with $197 million from the South Australian Government. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2019. More information on the project is available at the Northern Connector website and the NorthHub website.