The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) has commended the ACT Government’s focus on gender equity for women in the construction industry after announcing the new Strathnairn Primary School will be a female-led construction project.

NECA have long been advocates for women in construction, and this initiative is a significant step forward in improving gender equality within the construction industry.

“With just 2.4% of the construction workforce being women, the industry needs to make cultural changes that encourage more women to join and provide ongoing top-down same-gender support to maintain retention. The Strathnairn Primary School project, with its women-led on-site management and women’s representation amongst all trade subcontractors, is a rare opportunity to implement and improve positive cultural change,” NECA chief executive Oliver Judd says.

“Whilst just over 15% of NECA’s 150 apprentices in the ACT are female, women can often find themselves with a very small group of female peers on site. Barriers for women entering the industry are slowly coming down, but male-dominated sites can still create an intimidating environment for women.

“We must continue to work together to remove the gender barriers in the construction industry. Until we see projects with a stronger female representation across all levels of hierarchy, opportunities such as this are extremely valuable. The ACT Government should be applauded on this initiative.”