The Australian Constructors Association (ACA) has committed to significant actions aimed at transforming the culture of the industry within five years to help address current workforce shortages and position the industry for the future.
The construction industry lags other industries in providing flexible work options for its employees. The industry’s long and inflexible hours are known to significantly contribute to high levels of stress, negatively affecting our capacity to attract both women and the upcoming generation of workers.
Whilst other international jurisdictions are moving to legislate flexible working options, ACA members are not waiting for Australian governments to follow suit.
ACA members have pledged to establish workplace flexibility policies that would guarantee every employee has genuine access to flexible work arrangements.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) is an Australian Government statutory agency charged with promoting and improving gender equality in Australian workplaces. The Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation is WGEA’s voluntary program that recognises organisations’ active commitment to achieving workplace gender equality.
The WGEA citation is increasingly viewed as a marker of well-managed and leading organisations. Recent research found the citation drives improved gender equality outcomes and is aligned with the Workplace Gender Equality Act.
As targets for female participation continue to increase across various industries, attracting more women from diverse backgrounds has become essential. The WGEA citation reinforces the message we want to convey about our industry’s commitment to diversity.
Currently, only four construction companies out of 128 private sector organisations have achieved the WGEA citation. As part of our pledge, 75% of ACA members aim to attain this citation by 2028. We will actively promote the benefits of the citation for construction companies and compare ourselves to comparable industries in Australia.
Construction is a varied and exciting industry that solves complex challenges every day. There are opportunities for everyone, and we will be lifting the curtain on those opportunities and promoting them. That is why we have further pledged to rebrand the industry and attract more workers.
Specifically, we will attract women from other industries and backgrounds by leveraging and pooling the national resources of ACA members to promote the industry and the benefits of a career in construction. We will rebrand construction in the public-eye to share a modern image of the industry, its opportunities and the benefits it delivers to society. We will tell a positive story that welcomes women to a modern, vibrant workplace and a great career choice.
The pledge demonstrates the ACA is acting on matters we can control while progressing important initiatives with the government and other industry stakeholders. One such initiative is the Culture Standard developed by the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce – a joint initiative of the ACA and the governments of NSW and Victoria. Key aspects of the Standard are currently being trialled on various Victorian and NSW projects. Our pledge aims to put several other aspects of the Culture Standard into immediate practice.
This is just the start of the conversation. We will also work closely with other industry associations and agencies to pool our resources and maximise our impact. We look forward to continuing our collaborations with our colleagues in the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce, Wellness in Infrastructure, Engineers Australia and throughout government and industry.
