Construcciones Yamaro: Women building telecommunications careers in regional Australia
Empowered Women in Trades has welcomed the nbn team to the EWIT village, highlighting women building hands-on careers in telecommunications.
By Melinda Davis, GM of Empowered Women in Trades.
It is important to shine a light on the people and stories that showcase women doing great things in their careers. This is Stephanie Page’s story.
Across regional Australia, more women are stepping into hands-on telecommunications roles, working on the ground to solve complex problems and help keep their communities connected.
For Page, a field technician based in Cooma, New South Wales, joining nbn Field Services meant moving into a practical, trade-based role with impact close to home.
“I was previously working in state government within an IT department,” she says. “When I saw nbn was recruiting in my local area, I was interested in moving into a more hands-on, practical role.”
Today, Page’s work includes installing fibre connections, repairing copper faults, completing maintenance and training tasks, and mentoring another locally based female trainee.
“A typical week includes everything from installing fibre to troubleshooting faults,” she says. “I also mentor our trainee by helping her build knowledge and practical skills, alongside the usual admin and training.”
Moving from a structured traineeship into working independently, often across remote and regional areas, was one of Page’s biggest challenges. Managing her own regional patch meant she didn’t always have colleagues or managers physically located nearby day-to-day.
“That’s pushed me to rely on my own problem-solving skills,” she says. “It was hard at first, but it has helped me build confidence and resilience quickly.”
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That experience now shapes how she supports others coming through the same pathway.
“I’m proactive about supporting my trainee,” she says. “I want her to feel confident and prepared before she transitions into working independently.”
For Page, the most rewarding moments are when her work has a direct impact on people in her community.
“One job that really stood out was for a father and his son in Jindabyne who relied on their internet for medical alarms,” she says. “Even though the weather turned, I stayed to make sure the service was working perfectly because I knew how important it was.”
In another case, she spent an entire day installing fibre for a customer who had lived with years of unresolved service issues.
Telecommunications, like many trade-based industries, has traditionally been male-dominated, particularly in field roles. But targeted pathways and visible leadership are starting to change that picture.
Across nbn Field Services, 59 per cent of Customer Field Technician traineeships since 2022 have been filled by women, with 94 women having completed traineeships to date. That progress is also reflected in leadership, where women now make up 50 per cent of the Field Services leadership team.
For Page, those shifts matter, but so does day-to-day visibility.
“I’d encourage any woman who’s even a little curious about a field role to give it a go. You don’t need to come from a technical background. The training is there, and you learn so much by working alongside experienced technicians,” she says.
“Women in field roles are just as capable. We bring resilience, attention to detail and a different perspective. The work is better when there’s more diversity on the ground.”
nbn Field Services is creating pathways for women to build long-term careers in technical roles across Australia. Visit www.nbnco.com.au to view current opportunities and apply.
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