Nearly 430 students across 25 schools in five state and territories were involved in the Property Council’s Girls in Property program this year as the program continues to grow.
The Girls in Property program raises awareness amongst high school students about the raft of career paths the property industry offers, encouraging greater female participation in the property industry.
Starting out as a pilot project in NSW in 2017, the Girls in Property program has continued to expand and evolve. You can see what the program has achieved below.
New South Wales
Date: From Tuesday 31 May to Wednesday 26 June 2022 – various locations
Number of Schools: 14
Number of Students: 230
Program reach: Sydney Metro Program, Illawarra Program & Port Macquarie Program
Girls in Property New South Wales saw an incredible 230 students from 14 different schools participate in a variety of programs.
Focusing on setting the scene, students gained insights into the industry, heard from industry leaders about what a career in property looks like, the challenges and opportunities that a career in the industry might present and the raft of careers available. Students also attended site tours across Sydney and the regions.
Student teams also presented their projects to their peers and a judging panel, comprising of their respective industry project mentors, a Property Council representative and their respective school Principal. A winning team was selected to progress to the official Girls in Property judging ceremony with parents and teachers attending the Awards and Presentation Ceremony.
Queensland
Date: Tuesday 26 July 2022 at West Village Brisbane
Number of Schools: 2
Number of Students: 50 Students
Macgregor State High School & The Gap State High School came together in July with the goal to educate the students about the diverse range of career paths in the property industry, and ultimately empower more girls to choose a career in property. 
The program involved 50 Year 10, 11 and 12 girls in a unique and varied program including a panel discussion, workshops, working on real-life property projects under the guidance of industry leaders, and touring West Village, a world-class development by Sekisui House.
We kicked off the day with a Fast Five session, with five women from different areas within the property industry who shared their own professional journeys. The students then participated in 4 rotating activities, Construction and Site Management, Sustainability, Sales and Marketing and the Modern Workplace. During these activities, the students heard firsthand from industry representatives and the responsibilities they have in their jobs.
The students then got to don the hard hats and hi-vis and get a site tour of West Village which was an incredible opportunity to see firsthand the sustainability practices embedded within the development.
After the tour, the students worked in groups to deliver a project – design an office fit-out to entice workers back into the office post-pandemic. Judges were incredibly impressed with the project pitches! Huge thanks to the incredible members who volunteered their time and to our sponsor Construction Skills Queensland for making the day a huge hit! 2023 looks incredible with 2 new schools joining MacGregor and The Gap.
South Australia
Date: Para Hills High School
Number of Schools: 1
Number of Students: 30
30 students from Para Hills High School were involved in this year’s program in South Australia. Students were shown a detailed video and presentation on the industry and heard from industry experts at Colliers, Walker, TBH and Built about a career in the property industry. Students also heard from guest speakers who addressed students on their experience in the property industry as a female.
Girls in Property SA was also showcased at the Adelaide Careers Expo, with 331 guests engaged personally for discussion (254 females) and 173 females engaged aged under 24. Girls in Property SA created a Careers and Jobs in property brochure which was distributed to guests at the expo and also online.Victoria
Date: Thursday 20 October 2022 at Wesley Place
Number of Schools: 2
Number of Students: 70
Girls in Property Victoria saw 70 girls from Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College and Pascoe Vale Girls College participate in a day of key learning about the property and construction industry. The girls heard from many industry experts, ranging from young guns to top CEOs. They participated in 3 different interactive activities to expose them to the raft of careers and opportunities available throughout the industry with hands-on experience. This was followed by a site tour of the sensational Wesley Place, alongside highlighting the construction process of the Australian Federal Police Building which consisted of a primarily female project lead team.
We had many of our members include an opportunity for these girls to complete work experience in several different positions. The girls left the day with a bag full of goodies and new knowledge of the wider industry. A huge thank you to our venue sponsor Charter Hall, catering sponsors Ratio and Hacer, and the wider membership for making this day happen.
Australian Capital Territory
Date: Tuesday 29 November 2022 at the University of Canberra
Number of Schools: 3
Number of Students: 47
Year 9 and 10 students from Mount Stromlo High School, Kingsford Smith High School and Canberra Grammar participated in a full-day program hosted by the University of Canberra. They heard from industry leaders about the property lifecycle, and the raft of career opportunities available, participated in networking activities, learnt about the pathways and study options, as well as a behind-the-scenes guided tour and group project activities facilitated by industry mentors.
For the first time, members registered with the Department of Education as host employers for the students to participate in short-term, work experience opportunities. Thank you to Canberra Town Planning, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, DJAS Architecture, JLL, Manteena and Molonglo for providing this opportunity.