International Women's Day celebrated its centenary yesterday – and in honour of the milestone, one Queensland government representative met with key women involved in the construction industry.
Karen Struthers, Queensland's minister for community services, housing and women, remarked that this year alone, the state's Women In Hard Hats initiative delivered a total of 22 tangible jobs in the mining sector.
Furthermore, a total of 250 women have attended statewide information seminars to find out more about the various opportunities available in so-called hard hat industries.
"Recruiting women is a win-win situation, as they represent the largest untapped talent pool available to employers needing to address their looming skills shortages," said Struthers as she met with key Women in Hard Hats partners this week.
Women in Hard Hats, which is an initiative spearheaded by the Queensland government's Office for Women, aims to get female workers thinking about pursuing careers in the construction, science, engineering, mining and technology sectors.
Key partners and stakeholders in Women in Hard Hats include the National Association for Women in Construction, the Department of Education and Training, Women in Plumbing, the Australasian Institute of Minerals and Metallurgy, Construction Skills Queensland and Women in Technology.