More than 50 women who are considering a career change to construction visited Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) today, taking the opportunity to walk on the new 3.7km runway, meet with construction workers and get a first-hand look at construction works taking place at the WSI’s integrated 24-hour Cargo Precinct.
Hosted by WSI, on site with one of Australia’s largest contractors, CPB Contractors, and joined by representatives from Australian Constructors Association’s (ACA) the event kicked off the ACA’s “It’s Possible” campaign, designed to encourage women – especially those in mid-career – to consider switching to construction.
ACA CEO Jon Davies said, “Construction is a great career choice for women looking for a fresh start. The strong response to our campaign and the increasing number of women eager to explore worksites show a real shift—more women are ready to step into the industry and build their future.”
Leaders in this space, CPB Contractors launched Australia’s first paid Women in Construction program in NSW in 2022, going on to expand the program to Victoria the following year. CPB Contractors’ Emily Wood, who graduated from the program in 2022 and now works on the M12 project, joined the 50 women sharing how much she loves her job, “I’ve been working as a labourer for three years and I love my job. Every day is different and I’m always learning something new – from changing a tyre to building a major road, I’m constantly gaining new skills and experience.”
CPB Contractors Training Manager Rebecca Britt and Paving Supervisor, Cyrene Boyd, who worked on the WSI Airside and Pavements project, also shared their own career journeys and experience in training and mentoring women on site. Cyrene Boyd said, “The women working on this project not only contribute invaluably to the overall work program but they have also been instrumental in creating the safe, positive and supportive culture onsite. They often bring a different approach to a task or job and it’s been great to see many of them develop their careers over the past few years to become great leaders on the ground.”