Women in work boots call the shift in closing the gender gap

According to budding female engineers there is a promising shift in the construction industry with an equal split of men and women now studying the profession indicating a trend that could balance out the gender gap.

And the trend could be just the ticket to end the Australian construction industry’s severe labour shortage. While women currently make up a very small percentage of the industry with figures ranging from 12 per cent to 15 per cent of the workforce, more effort is being made to attract and retain female workers, with the goal of increasing their participation.

Lucy Perry and Chloe Mack, both 21 years, have completed their final year of a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with Honours at QUT and cadetship with Alder, joining the team full-time.

The girls have known each other since the third grade and despite Lucy changing schools, their paths continued to cross, first at competitive swimming, and now studying the same degree and working at the same company.

Lucy, who was inspired to pursue a career in construction by her father who works in the industry, says in her experience the ratio of male to female students studying engineering at university is balanced, however, these numbers are not yet visible in the industry.

“Women are beginning to see more of an opportunity in construction,” says Lucy. “The industry is being presented to young women as a viable option so I think in time we will see more women entering the industry and this ratio of males to females in the workplace will balance out.”

Alder proudly supports diversity and gender equality in the workplace and has embraced women in all facets of the company from project delivery to development, to marketing and administration. For Chloe, the ability to connect with female counterparts has enabled her to feel comfortable in an otherwise male-dominated industry.

“Having so many women working in all aspects of the Alder team, especially in senior leadership positions, has helped me to feel comfortable and supported,” says Chloe. “I am, however, the only female working onsite on the current project I’m working on, and I feel completely comfortable learning from the experienced men who are supporting me to learn and grow.”

Lucy, who would ultimately like to work in construction management, says the solid company values and positive female role models available to her at Alder have cemented her career choice in construction.

“The family environment at Alder appeals to me and I couldn’t think of a better place to be,” says Lucy. “It has been great to have a role model like Megan Mitchell within the company and it’s inspiring to watch her grow into the construction manager role.”

Through Alder’s Building Blocks program and in conjunction with Construction Skills Queensland’s (CSQ) Try’a Trade program more school-aged students, both male and female, are now being introduced to the construction industry and being encouraged to look beyond the traditional trades to discover the vast range of career paths on offer.