New Scholarships For Women To Build Careers In Construction

The Institute of Applied Technology - Construction (IATC) has announced three new micro skills to its suite of courses as well as fee-free training places for women.

The Institute is a partnership between TAFE NSW leading construction company CPB Contractors, and Western Sydney University.

Co-designed with industry experts, micro skills are online, bite-sized, self-directed courses. These three new micro skills focus on topics critical for building capability in the construction sector now and into the future and include:

• Introduction to Women in Construction;
• Introduction to Sustainability in Construction; and
• The Role of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Construction.

The IATC is also furthering its commitment to encourage more women to kickstart a career in construction or upskill in their current role with the availability of 60 fee-free training places in its micro-credential courses.

The scholarships come at a time when the construction industry in Australia is facing a shortage of over 100,000 workers.

Applications are now open for the Women in Construction Scholarships, delivered by the Institute of Applied Technology Construction.

CPB Contractors General Manager Infrastructure NSW and ACT, Rob Monaci said as the pipeline of infrastructure continued to grow, particularly with the focus on housing and new energy, the need for more skilled workers was an industry-wide issue.

“We need to be doing more to attract people at all stages of their careers to transition into fulfilling careers in construction, particularly women,” Mr Monaci said.

The micro-credentials take eight weeks to complete and provide industry-specific skills recognised as evidence of competence.

The micro-credentials can be completed online or face-to-face.

Women in Construction Scholarship courses are aimed at high-growth areas and include:

• Project Management Foundations in Construction
• Introduction to Project Scope Management in Construction
• Project Risk Management in Construction
• Stakeholder Engagement and Management in Construction
• Quality Management in Construction
• 2D CAD Drawings and 3D Models in Construction
• Introduction to Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Construction
• Microsoft Office Foundations in Construction; and
• Power BI Fundamentals in Construction

Director of Operations Institutes of Applied Technology Helen Fremlin encouraged women interested in a career in construction to take advantage of the free micro-credentials and said they promoted a practical learning journey.

“Whether you choose online or face-to-face, these micro-credentials include regular educator-led sessions,” Ms Fremlin said.

“These draw on industry-specific examples, tasks, and case studies to give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills directly with the support of educators.

“Part of the eligibility process requires women to complete two micro skill courses.

“Micro-skills are free, two-hour, self-directed sessions, a great way to help get you started.”

Western Sydney University Interim Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Clare Pollock, said the suite of micro-skills and micro-credential courses and scholarships would empower women in construction and help to meet Australia’s workforce needs.

“The University has a proud history of opening up educational opportunities for students including talented women in our region,” Professor Pollock said.

“These innovative micro-skills and micro-credentials will help students upskill and take advantage of skilled job opportunities in the fast-growing construction sector.

“Western Sydney University is pleased to partner with TAFE NSW and CPB Contractors to co-develop and co-deliver courses that integrate research-led learning with advanced technical and industry-based skills while boosting diversity in the sector.”

Successful applicants will be offered a pre-class connection session to meet other women and visit a construction site in Sydney.

TAFE NSW and Training Services NSW invite young women in schools and parents across the state to register for a Girls in Trades virtual event on May 22.

Participants will learn about different careers and study pathways for young women to consider in construction and non-traditional trades.

• Topics:

• Women
• TAFE
• Employment & Training