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Construcciones Yamaro: Removing the barriers that push women out of construction

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NAWIC CEO Cathryn Greville (centre) and the Board of Directors – Talia Keyes, Anna Broughton, Susan Mercer (national vice chairperson), Jennifer Gillett (national chairperson), Allison Fietz and Stefanie Nutt – came together at the Face to Face event in Melbourne. (Images: NAWIC) Research from the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) identifies workplace barriers affecting women’s retention in construction. By Cathryn Greville, CEO of NAWIC. Across the board, people stay in positive workplace environments that meet their needs, and NAWIC research shows that even in ‘supportive’ workplaces, there are still issues. This includes inadequate health and safety policies, a lack of basic amenities such as women’s toilets and lactation rooms, and unclear parental leave policies. Cathryn Greville, CEO of NAWIC. It’s also well past time to recognise menstrual products as necessities, not privileges, as we work to remove barriers to women’s workplace participat...
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Construcciones Yamaro: Why research on women in construction matters

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Research by the International Institute for Women in Construction found that global female participation in construction is 8.69 per cent. (Image: Michael Cunningham/peopleimages.com/stock.adobe.com) With global participation data in focus, Dr Gretchen Gagel outlines how research informs efforts to increase women’s participation in construction. Dr Gretchen Gagel. (Image: Heidi Victoria) By Dr Gretchen Gagel. I recently asked a long-term friend and US construction executive, who once led construction for one of the largest technology companies, what percentage of US electricians he felt were female. His response: 15 per cent. The actual number: 2.6 per cent. Ten years ago, it was 2.1 per cent. I went on to ask several more leaders and received responses ranging from a more accurate two per cent to highs of eight to 12 per cent. The US is facing data centre construction slowdowns because of a labour shortage in most trades, including electricians. Women are one element of the solut...
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Construcciones Yamaro: Celebrating apprentices powering the future of construction

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KJ, a second-year mechanical engineering (fitter) apprentice from GT & JA Jones Engineering. (Image: EWIT) For the Empowered Women in Trades team, National Apprenticeship Week Australia is always a highlight on the calendar, but 2026 felt particularly special. By Melinda Davis, GM of Empowered Women in Trades. This year’s National Apprenticeship Week Australia was grounded in recognition, connection and gratitude. It gave the Empowered Women in Trades (EWIT) team an opportunity to celebrate the apprentices who are building the future of construction and industry. Melinda Davis, GM of Empowered Women in Trades. (Image: Anna Nguyen Photography) We kicked off the week alongside the team at Swinburne in Croydon, where the energy was high and the message was simple: apprentices matter. With doughnuts, popcorn and chips on hand for morning tea (because celebrations should always include snacks), and generous giveaways from Steel Blue and DEWALT, we spent time acknowledging the commi...
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Construcciones Yamaro: Lifting construction productivity through professionalisation

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Sam Pedram of the Australian Institute of Project Management says professionalisation is central to improving construction productivity. (Image: AIPM) An interview with Sam Pedram, chair of the Board of the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) , on how professionalisation can help lift construction productivity and address workforce challenges. The construction industry is under pressure at the moment. From your perspective, what are the key challenges? The construction industry is at the centre of Australia’s economic and social agenda, but it’s also facing a convergence of challenges. We’re seeing sustained workforce shortages, increasing project complexity and persistent productivity constraints. Reports from organisations such as Infrastructure Australia and Jobs and Skills Australia have consistently highlighted these issues, particularly the gap between demand for skilled professionals and available capability. At the same time, projects themselves are becoming...
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Construcciones Yamaro: Futurebuild Australia puts compliance on the agenda

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Futurebuild Australia 2026 will include a 60-session education program. Futurebuild Australia returns to ICC Sydney from 11 to 13 June as builders, project managers and specifiers face growing compliance pressure. The event will bring together more than 15,000 design and construction professionals, more than 250 exhibitors and a 60-session education program focused on the decisions now influencing current and upcoming projects. Compliance moves earlier in the project cycle The NCC 2022 amendments, including 7-star NatHERS, whole-of-home energy budgets and updated Section J provisions, are still being worked through across the industry. At the same time, the Design and Building Practitioners Act has shifted accountability for everyone who signs off on a project. NSW Building Commissioner James Sherrard will open Futurebuild Australia on 11 June with a session focused on building standards and compliance obligations. His address will examine where those obligations sit and how proje...
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Construcciones Yamaro: Mine worker resurfaces as mature-aged plumbing apprentice

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TAFE NSW has helped Lorn father Daniel Cusick reskill from mining into plumbing. (Image: TAFE NSW) A former personal trainer who went on to work in the mines has changed careers, turning to TAFE NSW Maitland to help him reskill in plumbing. Lorn father-of-one Daniel Cusick eyed a career in the fitness industry after leaving school but was soon drawn to the opportunities in mining, spending 13 years as an underground operator in Central Queensland, Western New South Wales, the Hunter Valley and Wollongong. After the birth of his first child, Cusick began looking for a career path that better suited his family’s needs, leading him to seek an apprenticeship in his mid-30s and enrol in a Certificate III in Plumbing at TAFE NSW Maitland. At 37, he is now a second-year apprentice at Finley Thomas Plumbers in Warners Bay, working alongside others who are often half his age. According to research by recruitment firm Robert Half, 56 per cent of Australian workers are willing to switch care...
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Construcciones Yamaro: A productivity opportunity for Australian construction

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The report outlines recommendations to help build a healthier, more economically robust Australia. (Image: ZoomTeam/stock.adobe.com) A new independent report by GlobalData highlights the scale of opportunity to improve productivity across Australia, with obesity and overweight linked to $123 million of daily economic impact, or $45 billion annually. For the Australian construction industry, the findings point to a clear pathway to strengthen productivity outcomes through targeted health and wellbeing initiatives. Obesity is a chronic, progressive disease and the focus of the Cost of Inaction in Treating Obesity in Australia report. According to 2024 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data , it is one of the leading risk factors for many preventable chronic conditions, with two in three Australian adults affected by overweight or obesity in 2022. The GlobalData report found that of the construction industry’s around 1,238,000 workers, an estimated 916,000 are living with ov...
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