Last week, A Human Agency hosted a Construction & Infrastructure Roundtable discussion with a number of influential leaders in the construction and infrastructure industries. Katriina Tahka lead the discussion, with insightful input by our guest speakers Jannene McLean from CSIRO and Allegra Spender from ABCN.
The construction industry is an important part of Australian business. Seeks insight & resources data shows that the construction industry has had a lengthy period of year-on-year job ad growth which looks to be sustained by the continued focus on infrastructure spending in the recent Federal budget. This offers a unique opportunity for people to discover rewarding career paths in these growth industries at a time that many other jobs are in decline.
Though employment opportunities within the industry are vastly expanding, the fact remains that the construction and infrastructure industry are the poorest performer in the promotion and employment of women (WGEA 2017). Though there is enduring concern within the industry over the lack of diversity, the barriers to inclusion of talent can only be overcome by understanding the reason why and creating an open dialogue to engage and encourage solutions.
The aim of the Roundtable is to create a pipeline of talent directly from schools into the industry by building awareness, interest, aspiration and a visible pathway for students as well as a positive workplace culture for all.
Members of the Roundtable engaged in conversation around how we can collectively harness potential in future generations and agreed to create a Pipeline of Potential Partnership. Roundtable members agreed to participate in the Partnership to create opportunities for:
- STEM teachers to spend time on-site learning about the practical application of STEM knowledge in real life work scenarios in Australia’s leading construction and infrastructure companies;
- STEM professionals to visit schools to engage and inspire STEM teachers and students alike;
- Industry professionals to mentor school students in disadvantaged schools and raise awareness and aspiration for future opportunities.
What is unique about this Partnership is that it offers the first cohesive, collective and multidisciplinary approach for multiple industry and education leaders to collaborate on building STEM experience and career pathways.
Our vision is to pilot the program in 3 to 5 companies this year across regional and metropolitan NSW, with a view to expanding nationally to a broader reach of schools in 2019.
If you would like more information about the Construction and Infrastructure Roundtable, or would like to discuss the Pipeline of Potential Partnership, feel free to contact us:
P: 02 9042 1406
Sources:
https://insightsresources.seek.com.au/seek-employment-trends-industry-spotlight-construction
https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/2016-17-gender-equality-scorecard.pdf
