The Australian Institute of Building, in collaboration with UNSW and TAFE NSW, and with the support of prominent construction industry suppliers, organized the second annual NSW Girls In Construction® 5-day Camp in November 2023. PlanRadar was thrilled to participate in the event as a primary sponsor and software vendor.
Held on the premises of UNSW, a group of twenty students from St Catherine’s School Sydney and Sydney Girls High School collaborated on a construction project that aimed to benefit a charitable organization upon completion. The students, along with the program facilitators, expressed great enthusiasm for participating in an activity that helped develop essential skills for a future career in the construction industry.
Riza Yosia Sunindijo – Associate Professor – School of Built Environment UNSW Sydney, said: “This is part of a larger project for women in construction. We want to promote opportunities for women to study construction and work in the construction industry. Besides female high school students, we also want to educate their parents and school advisors, so that they know there are diverse career pathways available within the construction industry – which women can build a successful career path into.”
This AIB initiative was made possible thanks to the support of likeminded organizations that aim to boost the representation of women professionals in the construction industry.
The objective of the program is to introduce young girls in secondary school, who are at a critical stage of choosing a career, to the exciting and challenging opportunities in the construction industry. For female students seeking a career that values innovation, this program provided a firsthand experience of this rapidly evolving field.
Geoff Dart, President for the Australian Institute of Building, said: “It’s important for us to be inclusive and progressive, and by that I mean addressing the gender equality in the industry – since only 12% of the industry are women. In particular, we want to focus on female professional builders that have a TAFE qualification or building degree, since these are the people who we want to be leading the change. The construction industry employes the highest amount of full-time employees in Australia and we’re the second-highest contributor to the national GDP, yet this change in the industry is not progressing fast enough.”
The students successfully tackled numerous challenges, utilizing mathematics, hands-on problem-solving, and creative thinking to complete the build program on schedule, with guidance from instructors from TAFE NSW.
The AIB eagerly anticipates organizing additional sessions in 2024 and collaborating with other state chapters for stage 2 of the Girls In Construction program in the upcoming months. The team are committed to delivering valuable and impactful initiatives to promote growth and diversity in the industry.
Leon Ward, Digital Construction Specialist for Australia + New Zealand at PlanRadar, said: “It’s a fantastic initiative by the AIB to involve girls in construction at a TAFE-equivalent level and give them hands-on experience. PlanRadar is really happy to be a part of it.”
The Australian Institute of Building evaluates and certifies construction degree programs and higher education courses offered by 15 universities across Australia. As a respected not-for-profit industry organization, the AIB is recognized as the authoritative source of knowledge and learning in the construction industry. Its membership primarily comprises individuals, namely commercial builders, rather than companies.
Leon Ward added: “PlanRadar as a business is very focused on diversity, and very focused on being able to support initiatives like Girls In Construction moving forward. We identify that the construction industry in Australia has a need for this support, and to assist these kinds of programs in any way that we can.”
PlanRadar Australia takes pride in supporting young women who choose construction as a career, and the team were thrilled to witness the progress of the event unfold.
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