Today we have celebrated the building and construction industry’s commitment to increasing opportunities for women in high-vis roles.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Michael Ferguson, said with more than $27 billion worth of public and private projects, and the construction of 30,000 homes in the pipeline around the State, industry predicts it will need to increase its workforce by around 25 per cent over the next four years.
“Ten high-calibre women have today graduated from the Civil Contractors Federation's Women in Civil training program which is working to make this traditionally male-dominated industry more inclusive,” Minister Ferguson said.
“The civil construction industry still only sees some 4.2 per cent female participation in hands-on construction roles, but the industry itself is working hard to widen its scope as a desirable career for more Tasmanian women which is promising.”
This program was designed to deliver a combination of accredited and non-accredited units to upskill participants to be job ready to join the civil construction industry. Post completion of the training the participants undertook a period of work placement with host employers.
A more diverse and inclusive workforce built on new apprenticeships and traineeships is a major winner from our continued High-Vis Army funding for the building and construction sector in Tasmania.
Initially supported through our Supporting Women to Succeed grant program, Minister for Women, Jo Palmer, said we’re now helping to support an expansion of the Women in Civil pre-employmentprogram through our High-Vis Army initiative to broaden the diversity of the Tasmanian building and construction workforce.
“Importantly, the CCF’s Women in Civil program complements other initiatives supported through the High-Vis Army such as HIA’s Building Women in Industry program and the Master Builders’ Women Building Australia program,” Minister Palmer said.
“It’s a clear demonstration that each part of the industry is backing the move to support more women into rewarding building careers which is fantastic to see as Minister for Women.”
Tasmanian businesses in the building and construction sector can find out more about the initiatives available as part of the High-Vis Army at www.skills.tas.gov.au/about/current_projects/high-vis_army
More Media Releases from Michael Ferguson
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