Lauren Fahey from the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC)
We get to hear Laurens’s journey to becoming the General Manager of NAWIC. Laurens vast experience in behaviour change programs has positioned her well in taking the opportunity to lead the goals and ambitions of NAWIC. Lauren is married to a Tradie and successfully running their Tradie business. Lauren shares her passion for NAWIC and particularly to amazing work all the volunteers are doing with NAWIC which started in Australia in 1995 and has chapters right around the country. We discus what the organisation does, the services, events and functions they provide for their members in the construction industry.
NAWIC is led by a team of passionate volunteers who all strive to help champion and empower women in the construction and related industries to reach their full potential. With Chapters in every state and territory, we are also part of a global network of NAWIC organisations, including those in the United States, New Zealand and Canada.
NAWIC provides a forum for its members to meet and exchange information, ideas and solutions. We also offer our members an opportunity to expand personal and business networks, maintain awareness of industry developments, improve skills and knowledge and contribute to other women in the construction industry.
Laurens talks about the change NAWIC is achieving through advocacy & lobbying, education for individuals, companies and industry as a whole, Connection, Celebration and Support for all women in construction through our membership Community and how diversity is so important to them achieving their mission and vision. We look at some of the industry role models that come to mind and Lauren shares 3 specific role models that have stood out within NAWIC. We look at their stories and what they are doing to make a real difference in the Industry.
We move onto some of the key statistics around the women Tradies currently working in the construction industry and the variations in the numbers and that only 2% of Tradies are women. NAWIC has the vision that more women become Tradies and the industry and have set the goal that 25% of the Tradies in construction will be women by 2025. To achieve this education is going to be the most powerful weapon in driving this change and encouraging more women into the Trades. Initiatives engaging school kids in a big focus to get the positive messaging and encouragement required to create the awareness and opportunities for more women in construction.
For this change to occur we talk about the need for mindset, gender and stereotyping needs to shift and opening up to new thinking around recruitment, training and retention of more women in those Tradie roles.
You will enjoy the real passion and enthusiasm Lauren shares in leading NAWIC and the ambitions to achieve 25% minimum female participation across all of the construction industry by 2025
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