Tradie Tales – Build Like A Girl #54

Joanne Farrell, Director of “Build like a Girl” & General Manager of Kane Constructions (ACT).

Joanne takes us through her experience as a young woman who chose a career as a Tradie and the real challenges that this decision presented in finding opportunities the traditional fixed mindsets that had to overcome. This experience has fueled Joanne’s passion and commitment to working within the industry to drive change and create opportunities for more talented women to enjoy Tradie careers in building and construction.

We explore Joanne’s role as General Manager of Kane constructions in the ACT and the work they are doing in projects and with people to stand out from others. We discus the value of resilience and the essential ingredient of a strong and positive network around you to push through and develop the strength, resilience and support to build on the career.

Joanne recalls her Tradie experiences and network that has led to starting “Build like a Girl’” with the involvement with NAWIC & Master Builders a big part of in taking this step in creating “Build like a Girl”. The statistics reflect that women’s participation in the Trades is as low as 2% and the pipeline for women to enter Tradie careers is nonexistent and with researching industry and training bodies highlighting the opportunity to finding a a way of doing it better. Joanne talks about the core being education and starting the conversations at schools and the need to remove gender as part of the selection process and make all decision made on merit, attitude and potential. The need for government and industry support to provide the incentives and encouragement to change the mindsets and a genuine drive for positive change.

Joanne shares some of the great  initiatives that “Build like a Girl” is doing within the industry to engage, encourage, educate and train more women into opportunities in Tradie careers. This effort is already creating a great pipeline of women seeking more information and support in finding and starting Tradie careers.

This is a great Tradie Tale and outstanding insights into a passionate, committed and focused Tradie role model

 


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