Recently, 12 Indigenous women from Western Sydney graduated from a CPB Contractors’ Women in Construction program facilitated by Sydney Metro’s – Western Sydney Airport Station Boxes & Tunnelling (SBT) project. The paid training program creates valuable and sustainable on-site job opportunities for women on major infrastructure projects.
Over three weeks, through classroom study and hands-on learning, the cohort was introduced to what work on a construction project entails and the fundamentals of the industry while completing 11 units of competency in Cert III Civil Construction Plant Operations.
CPB Contractors Training Manager Brittany Bell explains that the program created opportunities for females in the local area and that all participants were of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage.
“This program was really successful for a number of reasons”, explains Brittany. “ From the recruitment stage, our SBT team combined efforts across Recruitment and Indigenous Engagement teams to drive awareness of the opportunity, which resulted in a high number of applicants”.
The program’s success is also seen in its attendance and completion records. Over three weeks, the 12 participants recorded a 100% attendance rate, and all successfully graduated from the program and now commenced apprenticeships to fulfil the remaining units of their Cert III Civil Construction Plant Operations.
Another highlight of the SBT project’s approach to the Women in Construction program was its collaboration and knowledge sharing with other CPB Contractors projects. Together, a number of New South Wales project teams pooled the expertise of its people to enhance participants’ outcomes and refine the program approach, making it even more effective.
The Sydney Metro-WSA-SBT project involves the design and construction of 9.8 kilometres of twin tunnels and excavations for stations at St Marys, Orchard Hills, Airport Terminal Station, Aerotropolis Station and service facilities at Bringelly and Claremont Meadows.
