Maggie Noonan is a big supporter of the Women in Construction movement. She hopes more women and girls in Canberra will consider joining the industry. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Construction is Australia’s most male dominated industry. Just 12 per cent of the workforce identifies as female, and less than two per cent of them work out in the field.
In Canberra, the percentage falls below eight.
Peak bodies want to see numbers rise to at least 25 per cent in the next two years, naming ‘robust education initiatives’ as key to realising their goal.
Participating in one of these initiatives is 23-year-old Maggie Noonan.
After moving away from healthcare, Maggie was looking for an industry that would provide a change of pace but still appreciate her hands-on approach. She landed on a Diploma of Construction, majoring in Management and Building.
Maggie applied for the CIT-GEOCON Women in Construction Scholarship earlier this year, after her teacher at CIT passed on the opportunity.
The joint scholarship awarded Maggie a full ride for her course and an exclusive cadetship at GEOCON. She started working with the Canberra developer soon after.
“I was excited but also pretty nervous about starting in construction,” Maggie says.
“I’m not just the minority in gender. I’m also getting started later in life than most workers, who usually enter the industry in their late teens.
“This cadetship has already taught me more than I could ever learn from the classroom alone. It’s almost been a ‘crash course’ in what many other workers my age would already know, so I have an equal platform to jump from once I finish studying.”
Artist’s impression of Woden’s WOVA development, due for completion in 2024. Photo: GEOCON.
Maggie is currently working in GEOCON’s construction department on the multi-million dollar WOVA project.
With four towers that contain more than 800 apartments and four levels of parking as well as mixed retail, hotel rooms, restaurants and cafes, WOVA is the largest project of its kind in Canberra.
The development aims to ‘redefine community living’ in Woden Valley, as part of an ambitious revitalisation effort that began in the late 2010s.
Maggie believes opportunities like hers are critical not only to attract more females to the industry, but to keep them there.
“Without my cadetship, I wouldn’t be as confident in taking on new responsibilities and learning new things. I’ve been supported and encouraged to ask questions about anything and everything,” she says.
“I think some women and girls don’t consider a career in construction simply because they don’t know how ranged the roles are. You might be an ideal fit for building management, have the organisation skills for material handling, or be better suited to something like law, HR or even engineering…
“The benefits to having more young women consider construction will be immense. Not only will we bring more diverse experiences and perspectives to the table, we also can help the industry with its worker shortage.”
Head of HR and corporate services at GEOCON, Carly Devine describes Maggie as a valuable team member who represents the company’s commitment to industry growth.
“Maggie is a great fit and her scholarship is a very worthwhile investment for us,” she says.
The CIT-GEOCON Women in Construction Scholarship was designed to provide an opportunity for the personal and professional development of a female building and construction professional, whether in technical, management or policy roles.
“We chose to partner with CIT in support of the Women in Construction initiative to help train the next generation of skilled builders and foster a more inclusive, diverse workforce in Canberra.
“As a well-known developer in the nation’s capital, GEOCON has a unique opportunity to lead by example. We feel it’s our responsibility to put our best foot forward on behalf of the local development community and champion growth for the industry around Australia.”
For more information visit CIT-GEOCON Women in Construction Scholarship
Loading ...
