State Government trials gender targets in Byford school build

Construction has started at the State Government’s second project contracted under trial procurement frameworks requiring that women make up 10 per cent of the staff working on the site. Osborne Park-based Badge Constructions will deliver the expansion to Byford Secondary College to lift the school’s capacity from 1680 to 2000 students. The company has been set a target to have women making up at least 10 per cent of the total on-site construction workforce during the build, as part of the State Government’s bid to lift diversity in an industry mostly occupied by men. Women make up about 13 per cent of white collar jobs and 3 per cent of blue collar jobs on construction projects, according to the Department of Finance. It’s the second ‘gender equality contract’ the State Government has dished out in the construction industry for a non-residential project after the Fremantle Mental Health Unit. The Government said it would monitor progress on Badge’s Byford upgrades and that feedback from the trial would help inform future policy decisions “including the potential use of targets”. Finance and Women’s Interest Minister Sue Ellery said working with businesses that commit to lifting female participation in their projects was a key step in “achieving a gender equal workforce”. “With the second gender equality pilot project now underway, we are excited to see the construction industry make meaningful change in this area,” she said. “Working with the industry and unions will ensure that the Cook Government finds a collaborative way to improve women’s employment and economic outcomes in Western Australia.” Since July, all suppliers bidding for contracts worth more than $250,000 with State agencies have been required to make sure they confirm they are complying with national gender reporting obligations. Australian companies with more than 100 or more employees are already required to report gender breakdowns in their businesses to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency per the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012.