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“I was nervous at the start because I didn’t think I’d fit in,” Charlotte said.<\/p>\n
“But we became a close group.<\/p>\n
“There are 12 of us and we supported each other the whole way through.<\/p>\n
“There’s nothing like this up the coast where I live, so I was driving every Friday to be part of it.<\/p>\n
“I’ve loved learning about how structural foundations are laid and the capabilities of different construction materials.<\/p>\n
“Not only has the program given me a better understanding of what a job in civil construction looks like but it’s helped me decide that I want to get my apprenticeship.”<\/p>\n
As part of their training, students also met female professionals working in engineering, workplace health and safety and electrical trades at the council.<\/p>\n
The program forms part of a broader effort to address the ongoing gender imbalance in civil construction, where women remain significantly underrepresented.<\/p>\n
“Across NSW, women make up around 7 per cent of the civil construction workforce, and nationally it’s closer to 4 per cent,” Roach said.<\/p>\n
“Programs like this are about changing that from the ground up.”<\/p>\n
Ballina Shire Council’s coordinator for People and Culture, Katheryn Curnow, said the shire was supporting women into rewarding careers while also addressing the region’s future workforce needs.<\/p>\n
“One of the biggest challenges in diversifying any industry is creating a pipeline of skilled women candidates,” she said.<\/p>\n
“By bringing together training providers, industry partners and employers, we have designed a program where women receive the support, skills and real-world exposure needed to set them up for success in civil construction.<\/p>\n
“Our aim is that this program will not only challenge outdated stereotypes but be part of an ongoing solution in the Northern Rivers region to build a stronger, more diverse and skilled workforce for the future.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TWELVE women from across the region have completed a pioneering civil construction training program in Ballina, marking an important step towards increasing female participation in the industry. The group graduated from a six-month Certificate II in Civil Construction delivered at TAFE NSW Ballina in partnership with Ballina Shire Council and Complete Staff Solutions. The course […]<\/p>\n