The latest Queensland Major Project Pipeline Report highlights more than $127.5 billion in major engineering and infrastructure projects planned over the next five years. With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games approaching, Fulton Hogan is looking to women to help meet the demand for skilled workers.
Women are significantly underrepresented in Queensland’s construction industry, making up around 13 per cent of the workforce and less than five per cent of on-site trades roles.
However, Fulton Hogan is making steady progress, with women now comprising approximately 20 per cent of its Australian business workforce. The company says partnerships like this are vital to sustaining and increasing female participation, especially in operational and on-site roles.
The partnership with Netball Queensland and the Queensland Firebirds is about helping more women and girls see the breadth of opportunities available, and how skills developed through sport can translate into long-term construction careers.
Netball Queensland, the Queensland Firebirds and Fulton Hogan will work together to promote construction career pathways through player engagement, community programs and targeted initiatives that showcase the breadth of roles available.
“Partnering with Netball Queensland and the Queensland Firebirds provides us with a unique platform to challenge outdated perceptions of the construction industry and to showcase real career pathways to women and girls, across the state” says Brett Smiley, CEO - Construction at Fulton Hogan.
Netball Queensland has more than 65,000 registered members across metropolitan and regional Queensland, giving the partnership strong community reach.
“We’re proud to partner with Fulton Hogan to inspire more women and girls to consider rewarding careers in construction,” Netball Queensland and Queensland Firebirds CEO Kate Davies said.
“As the largest female participation sport in Queensland and Australia, we can leverage our statewide network of registered members to connect talent with real opportunities across Queensland’s construction industry - which is exactly why this partnership makes sense.”
Fulton Hogan has more than 250 different types of roles available in its Australian operations and currently has around 180 roles to market. These roles range from entry-level traineeships and apprenticeships through to engineering, safety, project delivery, environmental, plant operation, truck driving and leadership positions.
“Construction today is far broader than many people realise,” Brett Smiley says. “There are hundreds of roles across our business that don’t require a trade or tertiary qualifications but do require teamwork, problem solving and leadership.”
As Olympic-related demand grows alongside ongoing infrastructure investment, the partnership aims to support a stronger, more diverse, and more resilient construction workforce that forms part of the long-term legacy of Brisbane 2032.
