Celebrating International Women’s Day
Release date: 08 March 2022
Today is International Women’s Day, a day that focuses on forging a more inclusive and gender equal world. At School Infrastructure NSW we support a workplace that is diverse, equitable and where differences are valued and celebrated. Today we would like to celebrate women’s achievements and share stories that raise awareness and visibility of women who are succeeding in infrastructure in NSW.
Read the stories of three women who are either beginning their pathway into an infrastructure career or are acting as a positive influence and role model within the industry.
Tia Bell’s experience and advice for other women considering a career in infrastructure
Tia Bell is the first in her family to achieve an ATAR, proving that success really can come early for anyone willing to dedicate themselves.
Tia applied for the Infrastructure Traineeship to study a Cert IV in Project Management through TAFE NSW, and she's already working for one of the biggest infrastructure companies in the world.
Tia's journey started with NSW Health and she's now into her second employment rotation working with Lendlease who also deliver education projects for NSW public schools.
"I am learning how to manage sub-contractors, how we tender, the ordering and scheduling behind it, the artwork and what is involved in choosing its placements, quality management, time management and a lot more," said Tia.
The program is allowing Tia to undergo a journey of self-discovery by getting out of her comfort zone and embracing new skills in a new environment.
"I want to continue learning throughout my whole life and have a career that could take me in many different directions.
“I’m proud of myself because usually I am very shy and don't like talking to people I'm not familiar with, but this job has given me exposure to talking to people in big groups or in meetings and I have found that to be a rewarding experience.”
Behind Tia is a mentor that's making a world of difference to her experience.
"One engineer I work closely with is Monique who is insanely smart and always somehow on top of everything and always organised. Monique has taken me under her wing and always includes me in everything that is going on at site.
“At the moment Monique and I are working on the artwork for the hospital which includes choosing numerous locations where artwork will be, the type of art (integrated, indigenous, applied), and choosing the artist.”
With more males on the whole in the industry, Tia wants other young females to learn more about themselves and what it takes to be in the industry.
"The advice I'd give to current female school leavers who are considering applying is to definitely take the leap and do it and always just be yourself and be open to learning new things and take on board everything you hear. Constructive feedback is one of the best things as it helps you learn from people who are way more experienced.”
The NSW Government’s Infrastructure Traineeship that's changing Abby Wilkinson’s life
When 18 year old Abby Wilkinson was accepted into the Infrastructure Traineeship program and moved from a farm in Singleton to the urban city of Newcastle, she found herself feeling more confident than ever before.
Abby never knew that her decision to study for a Cert IV in Project Management through the NSW Government’s Infrastructure Traineeship would open the door for her to be employed by FKG Group, a company with a 40-year heritage in construction and engineering.
“Having to move from a farm in a county town to a city like Newcastle was a big lifestyle adjustment, being 1 ½ hours away from home was definitely daunting at the start while only being 18,” said Abby.
“I’m proud of myself because I was able to secure this traineeship and have the confidence to move away from my family in order to undertake something that was completely new and I knew nothing about.
Abby is proud to be a woman trying to forge a career path in the industry while studying at the same time will help her determine if this is the best career path for her.
So far for Abby, working and studying within infrastructure has been “new, exciting and adventurous” and she urges all other female school leavers who start the traineeship to “make the most of every opportunity, always ask questions, back yourself, try new things and make connections with people if you wish to continue in this industry.”
You don't need a clearly defined career path in order to succeed as a woman in the infrastructure sector
Rebecca Willott is the Director of Infrastructure Planning at SINSW and is enjoying a thriving career in what is considered to be one of the most male dominated industries in the world.
For Rebecca, the way forward is not always a straight line, but the industry is becoming a really exciting place for women of diverse career backgrounds to be leaders.
“I've been with SINSW for 4 years but before that I worked on airports and many commercial projects as well as hospital redevelopment projects as a Senior Project Director,” said Rebecca.
It was Rebecca’s ambition and innate desire to make a difference that led her to School Infrastructure NSW.
“I was keen for a change because I’d been in the health sector for a number of years and I was looking for a change both in terms of a career progression path and doing some different projects.”
Rebecca’s message is clear: you don't have to have experience in construction to get into infrastructure.
“I did a Diploma in Project Management but before that I did a Bachelor of Business.
“When I finished school I started off in hospitality because that’s what I thought I wanted to do, so I got to work in the front office and restaurants of 5 star hotels in Sydney, London and Hayman Island.
“I was introduced to project management through a friend because I was interested in an office job where I could apply my skills but work 9-5 and have weekends off.
“When I saw an advertisement for an Assistant Project Manager role, I applied for it and I got it, so I've been working on projects for the last 15 years that have given me the opportunities to progress up the chain.”
When it comes to infrastructure planning, Rebecca says that it’s an exciting place for women of diverse career backgrounds to be leaders.
“It’s important to attract, develop, retain and engage women from a range of backgrounds as a means to better represent the communities that are served by infrastructure.
“You don't necessarily have to be a Project Manager to work on infrastructure projects. If I look at some of the people in my team, in a previous life they were Engineers, Architects, or they could have been Cost Managers or Statutory Planners.”
Rebecca wants to remind women that even if you don't think you’ve got a clearly defined pathway, all those skill sets can complement leading projects and I think that’s really important.
Communicating to young women in schools about possible career pathways is something that Rebecca believes is vital to their success.
“Even though the construction industry is a very male dominated industry, there is a path for women. There are more women attending university both in project management and construction management and when we look at the rate of project managers between male and female, females are coming up. It used to be 80/20 but we’re bridging that gap so there’s a solid career pathway.”
According to Rebecca, things are moving in a positive direction for women and the industry in so many ways because of company values and government leadership.
“Our vision as a team is to listen to everyone’s advice and leverage off the skill sets that they have, making our team diverse, strategic and in alignment with SINSW’s vision.
“This is important as we move towards a more digitalised space to increase efficiencies in the form of time and cost.
“There's also a lot of women in senior leadership roles across government and local government and it’s linking women into strategic thinking and development which certainly contributes to creating positive change.
“We have to tell young women that being a role model is achievable and illustrating to them that it is never too late to pursue your dreams and that success is possible as a woman in what can feel like a man’s world.”
