Over the past two years, Intract has continued to grow and invest in our diverse workforce. Today 25% of all staff are women, a statistic we are extremely
proud of.
This is significantly greater than the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported industry average of 12% representation of women in the construction workforce.
The roles held by Indigenous women at Intract include Senior Managers, Project Coordinators, Trainee Project Managers, Marketing and Communications Officers, Accounts Officers, Administrators, Machine Operators, Apprentices and Labourers. This demonstrates our commitment to gender balance, equality and diversity in all facets of the business.
John Briggs, Intract’s General Manager Southern Australia said of this achievement…
“Equal representation of women in the workforce is what we should consider as normal operating practice. I want to give everyone an equal opportunity, female or male, to develop their careers.”
In part, the success of this outcome can be linked to good partnerships. In 2017 Intract became a beneficiary of Santos’ Talent Pipeline Program Fund, a Santos sponsored agreement developed by both companies to create entry-level and qualified positions for South Australian Indigenous people at Intract.
Each year Santos conducts a program of sponsorships, donations and community benefit projects through its Social Responsibility and Community Benefits Program, such as the Talent Pipeline Program. Through this incentive, Intract have employed twelve Indigenous personnel of which two were women.
John added…
“One of the major barriers to women entering the construction workforce is in the recruitment process, where employment is often through informal networks and word-of-mouth recommendations that women are less likely to be part of. It is also about the perception recruiters have towards the type of worker that would fit into an existing male-dominated work culture in construction. We are abandoning that culture at Intract, and giving women a fair go.”
The strong contribution of our female workforce has helped us to continue to grow our business and achieve positive outcomes for Indigenous people.