The NSW Government is seeking feedback to make the construction industry a better place to work for women, with only 13 per cent currently working in the industry and around two percent of women working in a trade role.
All sections of the community and the building and construction industry are invited to share their views through a Women in Construction survey.
Now open on the NSW Government Have Your Say website, the survey seeks to understand the barriers women face in entering, working and staying in the construction industry.
The NSW Government is working towards increasing participation of women in trade and non-traditional roles to improve the gender balance in the construction industry. This will help address critical supply and skills shortages to help deliver the demand for construction activity and housing supply in NSW.
The survey for the Office of the Building Commissioner will provide key insights into the experiences of women in the industry including job satisfaction, culture, attitudes and practices regarding recruitment and training, and reasons why they are leaving the industry.
It also seeks to understand the experience of their employers, particularly small businesses employing 20 or fewer people, and what can be done to increase participation across all roles.
The survey is open until 26 September 2023. The survey's findings will be available on the NSW Government website in coming months.
To have your say, and to find out other ways to get involved, visit: https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/women-in-construction
Quotes to be attributed to NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler:
"This 'Have Your Say Women in Construction' survey is the largest of its kind in New South Wales about this shortfall.
"It will be key in outlining how we can address the construction skills shortage, which is impacting the ability to build new housing and infrastructure.
"It aims to better understand peoples' experiences and to find ways to improve the construction industry and make it more appealing to women and men, especially in small and medium businesses that make up 80 per cent of the construction industry.
"It will help identify ways to increase the participation and retention of women and men across NSW in the construction industry, delivering the benefits of a more diverse and inclusive industry which increases innovation, improves productivity, and leads to stronger economic performance.
"I encourage the community and industry to take part in this important survey. Whether you work in construction or not, your voice matters. Making the construction industry open to everyone can help bring more people into jobs and deliver the demand for construction activity and housing supply in NSW."
