Women working in the construction industry are calling for others to get on the tools – saying numbers in the industry are still alarmingly low.
Figures show women make up just 15% of the trades and construction industry, with only 4% actually on the tools.
NZMA is trying to change those figures, working to remove stigma through education as a way to achieve that.
“I do encourage more females to step out of their comfort zones and to try something new, because it doesn’t really matter who you are or what nationality, or if you’re female or male,” says Leeone Kamuhemu, who is studying a Level 3 Plumbing, Gasfitting and Drainlaying at NZMA.
“We actually put our sweat and tears into making a house. Who can say that? It is so cool that we can experience that here,” says Jazmine Fareni, who is studying a Level 3 Certificate in Trade Skills in Paint and Plaster at NZMA.
While the construction industry still has progress to make in promoting gender diversity, NZMA Trades campuses show that a positive shift is occurring.
