Master Builders Australia has invited women with up to five years of experience in the building and construction industry to apply for the 2023 Women Building Australia mentor program.

The program runs over nine months, commencing on 28 March with applications closing on 28 February.

“Mentees will be paired up with established industry leaders in the industry to access support, encouragement and advice through a mentorship relationship,” Master Builders Australia chief executive Denita Wawn says.

“With monthly engagements, program participants will also be required to attend the program launch, mid-program review and end-of-year wrap-up.

“The building and construction industry is one of the largest sectors in Australia. During November 2022, there were 1.29 million people employed in the industry working in over 445,000 construction businesses.”

She adds that women currently comprise only 13.6% of the industry’s workforce. Three in ten professionals in the industry are women by only 3.5% are building trades and technicians.

“The industry is missing out on the skills and talents of half the population by not attracting more women into trades,” Denita says.

“Improving the attractiveness of the industry to women presents a massive opportunity to increase the pool of potential workers and this program is one of the many initiatives through Master Builder’s Women Building Australia to assist.”

Rebecca Bishop, owner of Elite Building (pictured) is a mentor in the program.

“I loved watching my mentee grow so much during our time together. Being a mentor helped me to grow and learn new skills too,” she says.

“We need more women in construction. I recommend the program to all women who want to build their network, feel less alone, develop better communication skills, work on themselves, feel more confident, and make new connections and friends.”

Women Building Australia is supported through a Federal Government grant and delivered through Master Builders Australia aimed to attract and support women to succeed in the building and construction industry. It includes a range of initiatives including career expos, a female-led business register, business resilience training and a dedicated harassment and discrimination support line.

For more information and to apply for the mentorship program visit this link.