Scentre Group’s Emily Matheson. Photo credit: Alexis Lindsay
As the property industry moves towards increased gender parity, many within the construction industry are rolling out new initiatives and ideas to attract more women to the sector.
It comes as the NSW government plans to spend $20 million in the state budget to double the number of women working in construction.
Women make up only five per cent of the construction workforce in NSW and 13 per cent nationally.
The NSW government has a goal of 15 per cent women in construction by 2030.
According to data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, construction has the largest gender pay disparity and is the sixth most gender-segregated industry.
“The latest estimates show that skills shortages in the Australian construction industry could top 105,000 workers by 2023,” Treasurer Matt Kean said.
“Increasing the number of women in the construction industry is essential to lower the gender pay gap and ensure we have the skilled workforce required to deliver the Government’s record $110.4 billion infrastructure pipeline.”
The funding announced in the budget will go towards “towards breaking down the cultural barriers that stop women from considering a career in construction and help them smash through the gyprock ceiling,” according to Minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport Rob Stokes.
Scentre Group aspires to achieve 40:40:20 gender representation (40 per cent women, 40 per cent men, and 20 per cent any gender) across all management levels by 2025.
Emily Matheson (pictured above), Scentre Group Design Coordinator said she joined Scentre group six years ago and has not looked back.
“I’ve been fascinated with building from a really young age. I always had a natural interest in woodwork at school and that’s what led me into the construction industry.
“I enjoy being part of a big team and thrive off the constant learning and challenge that new projects bring. It’s really rewarding to see hard work come to fruition.
“For any female considering a career in construction, I would tell them to go for it.”
Scentre Group Director Design and Construction, Ian Irving said half of all senior leaders within the group’s Design and Engineering functions are female and 23 per cent of its entire Design and Construction team are female.
“We have an ambition to see these numbers increase over time through our approach to recruitment, policies and development of our people,” he said.
“We welcome the NSW Government’s commitment to boost female representation in the construction industry. It’s a priority we share.
“We are actively engaged in mentoring women through our partnership with National Association of Women in Construction and support the Property Council of Australia’s 500 Women in Property program as well as Girls in Property.
“The diversity and scale of projects we offer, from retail developments to major Westfield Living Centre transformations is how we attract and retain the best talent and foster growth. Whilst traditional builders hire people for one job, our people see value in being able to work across a range of projects throughout Australia and New Zealand.”
Some groups like Mirvac are attempting to hire more women through school and university scholarships, while Icon has noted that long and inflexible hours are a big turn-off for potential female employees.