BESIX Watpac celebrates International Women’s Day and continuing progress towards a balanced workplace
BESIX Watpac prepares to celebrate International Women's Day across its Australian and New Zealand businesses.
This week, BESIX Watpac is hosting an International Women’s Day event and panel discussion with guest speakers Danika Mason, a well-respected Australian sports broadcaster and Allana Ferguson, NRL commentator and former Australian representative rugby player. Also joining the panel is Goanna Academy ambassador Jakiya Whitfeld, a former Australian representative rugby player and current NRL Women’s Premiership player with the North Queensland Cowboys.
BESIX Watpac CEO Mark Baker said he was pleased the organisation was on track to realise its commitments to diversity and inclusion.
“I am proud of our progress towards building a more balanced workforce. We are focused on increasing female representation in a genuine and sustainable way, while continuing to recognise the ongoing contribution of our existing male workforce. Broadening our talent pool and creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone belongs is critical to our future success.”
BESIX Watpac employees will also be fundraising for Orange Sky Laundry, a non-for-profit organisation that provides mobile laundry and shower services for homeless and disadvantaged Australians.
“BESIX Watpac has supported Orange Sky Laundry since 2022 and with females accounting for over 80% of new homeless people, this charity has a strong link with our panel discussion which is focused on navigating non-traditional career pathways and providing inspiration to women to develop their careers.
Likewise, having Jakiya Whitfield join us on the panel from Greg Inglis’ Goanna Academy is a great way to shine the spotlight on mental health which is one of the key contributing factors to women’s homelessness.”
National People Manager, Emily Brooks has been leading policy development, training, recruitment processes and building industry partnerships to support increasing women entering the construction sector.
“By aligning with organisations such as NAWIC and State Government bodies BESIX Watpac has been able to create more opportunities for females to gain experience and entry into the construction sector.”
“We work closely with our subcontractors and aim to align them with industry led programs to achieve their social impact commitments and consistently create more employment opportunities for women. Organising site tours, work experience days and sharing presentations at schools or universities also makes a big difference.”
BESIX Watpac’s International Women’s Day Ambassador Melissa Da Silva is also a driving force behind the company’s progress in recruiting and retaining females.
“We’re really excited to celebrate and reflect on the progress we are making. There is so much room for improvement in our industry and hearing from external speakers on International Women’s Day is a great way to take inspiration from outside of our sector to help us stay on track to achieve our 2025 goal.”
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