Women can build it: jobs push in construction projects
‘Cultural’ programs in the construction industry at NSW and Victorian government infrastructure projects are aimed at attracting more women to bolster the workforce.
A new framework to address systemic cultural problems within the construction industry is being trialled on NSW and Victorian government infrastructure projects in a bid to attract more women and bolster the sector’s productivity.
The Construction Industry Culture Taskforce – a collaboration between NSW and Victorian governments, the Australian Constructors Association and academics – has developed the Culture Standard following four years of research and consultation.
Research commissioned by BIS Oxford Economics found cultural issues cost the Australian economy nearly $8bn annually due to workplace injuries, mental illness, suicide, long work hours and a lack of diversity.
The Culture Standard will seek to improve work-life balance and industry culture by trialling the impact of flexible and capped working hours, implement new plans aimed at boosting female participation and run mental health programs.
The bold plan comes as the sector faces significant pressure to lift productivity and deliver the nation’s unprecedented infrastructure pipeline amid a projected shortfall of 105,000 workers by 2023.
CICT chair Gabrielle Trainor said evidence strongly suggested flexible working arrangements and capped hours increased productivity, with long working hours “inextricably” linked to a lack of diversity and poor mental health.
She said the pilots were a collaborative effort to improve the culture in the construction industry and attract more women, with typical construction projects seeing staff work long hours and weekends which can be a barrier to many potential employees.
“Improved industry culture is vital at a time when we need at least 105,000 new workers to fulfil the infrastructure pipeline and a drastic lift in productivity,” Ms Trainor said.
“Flexible and capped working hours are enabling elements of the standard to reduce stress, improve wellbeing and safety, and, equally importantly, the family lives of construction workers and the attractiveness of the industry as a place to work.”
“Moreover, there is no evidence that these changes to work hours negatively impact program or budget — on the contrary the save money and, more importantly, lives.”
The first five project sites piloting the standard include Narre Warren Cranbourne Road Upgrade (Victoria), Brunt Road Level Crossing Removal Project (Victoria), Wentworth Point new high school (NSW) and the Transport for New South Wales Mulgoa Road Upgrade Project Stage 1.
ACA chief executive Jon Davies said the construction sector’s ability to deliver a mammoth infrastructure pipeline on time and on budget would be limited without a serious change to current practices.
“The current universal agreement on the need for change provides an opportunity to transform our industry to one that represents global best practice and is an industry of choice,” Mr Davies said.
https://content.api.news/v3/videos/c8fab6318d02a5a90beb10ae73acb7d9
More Coverage
Smartphone ban brings calm to classrooms
Smartphone and vaping bans in schools have been hailed for making students ‘better behaved’ and classrooms calmer.
NDIS to notch up $600m in savings
More than $600m has been shaved off the projected budget forecast for NDIS in the first seven months of the financial year despite almost 20,000 new participants joining the scheme in the past quarter alone.