2024 'Career Starter' Category Winner

Armidale Regional Council, NSW

Girls in Civil Program

2024 ‘Career Starter’ Category Winner

The Initiative

Armidale Regional Council was proud to announce the launch of their innovative Girls in Civil program, the first initiation of its kind aimed at empowering female high school students to explore opportunities in the traditionally male–dominated civil construction industry.

Developed in partnership with Training Services NSW through their Regional Industry Education Partnerships, the program addressed the need to provide greater opportunities for women to enter non–traditional roles and promote gender diversity within the industry.

The Girls in Civil program gave female students hands–on experience in civil construction through activities like site visits, equipment demonstrations, and discussions with industry professionals. The goal was to inspire and equip young women with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to pursue successful careers in the field.

The program demonstrates the Council's leadership role in developing gender diversity in the civil construction industry, making a significant step toward fostering inclusion and breaking down barriers for women in the workforce. The three–week program has been run twice since July 2023 and delivered a comprehensive overview of civil construction, including operating equipment, safety protocols, site visits, and conversations with various industry experts to the cohort of young women who participated.

The Girls in Civil program is aligned with the Council's commitment to promoting diversity and equal opportunities in the workforce. By inspiring the next generation of female leaders, the Council aimed to create a more inclusive and prosperous community, opening doors in non–traditional roles and empowering young women through hands–on learning and industry connections.

About the Category

The 'Career Starter' category recognises outstanding career starter initiatives in local government which:

  • support entry-level employment opportunities in local government through apprenticeships, traineeships or cadetships;
  • help to improve the progress and representation of junior employees;
  • support and encourage emerging leaders, including mentoring, networking and training opportunities; and/or
  • demonstrate an outstanding apprentice, trainee or cadet who is making a difference to their community and workplace and that has been outstanding in all aspects of their training.

Successful initiatives in this award category benefit communities by:

  • promoting greater roles for young people, new entrants and those seeking a career change;
  • increasing workforce participation from people of all ages, and supporting succession planning and knowledge retention in the council and community; and/or
  • creating new opportunities for members of the community to work and stay in their region while being able to reach their potential.

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