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Women an integral part of civil construction

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Two young women, Olivia and Clare, were ambassadors recently for a unique back-to-work program managed by Civil Train SA, the training arm of the CCF SA in Adelaide.

  
Women an integral part of civil construction

The CCF SA Women in Civil program breaks new ground in South Australia. Above are the first graduates.

Both were interviewed on ABC local radio while Olivia also appeared on Channel 7 prime time news, both times with CCF SA CEO Peter Nolan in attendance.
They talked about the first Women in Civil Construction program, designed to get unemployed young women from Adelaide’s northern suburbs, into a profession normally reserved for men. The SA government funds the eight-week course.
Nolan agrees that women are no less capable than men, are very welcome on construction worksites, and are integral to SA’s future civil construction workforce.
The training modules focus on building self-esteem while providing practical knowledge and direct experience of working on “live” construction sites. Operating heavy machinery is a course highlight.
The resulting professional qualifications are certificate in resource & infrastructure operations and certificate in horticulture as well as whitecard and workzone traffic management tickets.
Seven women graduated from the course on August 7 and the next course started on August 24.
A CCF SA media release says many in the industry realise that women are well suited to site jobs ranging from heavy machinery work to diesel mechanics, conducting soil analysis as “dirt doctors”, landscaping and horticultural projects to traffic control.
This recognition extends to specific examples: an ability to maintain concentration and high standards even in repetitive work is talked about – even a grudging recognition that women are often better drivers on site jobs.
 “Research information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Construction Industry Training Board and our Federation, predicts that our required workforce needs will increase from the present 5500 to 7800 workers by 2015,” he says.
Olivia says in the media release: “I’m willing to do anything on any site and start right at the bottom. But if they (construction companies) would put me on courses to get my (heavy machines) tickets, now that would be fantastic.”
More than 17,500 students gained qualifications last year through Civil Train SA. The federation’s not-for-profit arm is the largest, private, registered training organisation in SA.
More informatiom: Peter Nolan, 0413 055 101, 08 8244 0922.


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