When I see a girl drawing a truck or ‘princess’ builder, it makes me proud of what the future sector might entail. The number of pre-teen girls showing an interest in joining the construction industry is advancing significantly. Construction was once a career option only available to men, however, more girls today are desiring to become a tradie.
This drastic shift can partly be credited to the efforts of a 30-year-old Australian woman, Emma Wallace. Working for a multinational construction company, Wallace is helping to shatter the stereotype that construction is predominantly a man’s world. Her self-illustrated picture book, This Girl Built That, published in February of this year, portrays females working in construction in a fun and engaging way. Through this book, she aims to normalise the industry as a career option for girls globally.
“The issue of few women working in construction is pretty common across the board, and it’s positive that I’m seeing increasing numbers of 16 to 20-year-old females joining the sector,” Wallace says.
“However, I want to plant the ideas, the possibilities, for young girls before they’re influenced by stereotypes. It would be great to get a copy of the book in every one of Australia’s primary schools.”
Women: about one in 10 construction workers
In Australia, women make up between just nine and thirteen percent of the construction workforce. According to recent research, closing this gap has been at the forefront of the industry’s goals, with several aiming to attract and retain more women in the industry. Despite these actions, barriers remain. These include long and inflexible work hours, limited career development opportunities and negative perceptions of women’s abilities. Construction sites can traditionally be filled with a dominant masculine culture that may intimidate or exclude women.
Those women in construction who stay, like Wallace, tend to maintain a resilient persona with strong technical, interpersonal and coping skills.
Another stereotype hurting the construction industry is the misconception that it only offers hands-on traditional trade jobs. However, the industry offers so much more, with most positions requiring problem-solving, critical thinking and technical literacy.
The industry offers a wide range of positions, from traditional trades including carpentry and plumbing, to office and management roles, for example, contracts administrators, project managers, interior architects, among others.
“When people ask me what I like about working in the construction sector, I say the three Ps: the people, the projects and the problem solving,” Wallace says.
“I don’t work as a tradesperson, but in a site office. That means I work closely with tradespeople on-site every day, plus frequently, with clients, architects, engineers, consultants, building surveyors at a minimum.”
A plethora of job roles
Wallace’s book focuses on highlighting the various roles available on a commercial construction site. Most characters were based on real-life women she has worked with on projects.
As an assistant services manager, Wallace helps oversee the electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other operational systems for large commercial construction projects in Melbourne, Australia. She works on one project at a time, often with thousands of workers involved over the project lifetime. The projects are typically commercial buildings such as apartment towers and office buildings. She was recently working on a hospital project.
Growing up, Wallace always had a passion for art, which led her down a windy path into the construction sector. A simple request, “draw me a window”, set the then product design engineering student at university on an unexpected career trajectory.
“I’d only chosen that university course in mechanical engineering and industrial design because it continued the subjects I loved doing at school, but I later discovered a passion for construction, and found those roles better aligned to my interests”.
A window to a new world of work
Part-way through her course, when a domestic builder friend asked her to draw a window, then some joinery, later steel detailing, and next, write a scope of work, she was hooked on construction. A year’s industrial placement as the project coordinator for that builder’s business during her degree solidified her interest. While at university, she successfully applied for a graduate construction management role with a global construction company in 2019 and has been there ever since.
Her art found an outlet in construction-themed illustrations, which she began posting on Instagram. Her employer had signed up all female workers to a National Association of Women in Construction newsletter and through that, she learned about and successfully applied for a grant to pursue a business idea; Wallace focused on writing and illustrating her kids’ book.
“My hope was that the book would inspire a little girl to consider a job in construction. Maybe for little boys to know that girls can work in construction too. It could also be for adults to challenge who they expect to see on a construction site. It can be a different inspiration for different people.”
Wallace’s work is a small but significant step toward a more inclusive future for the construction industry. By blending her passions for construction and art, she’s not just changing perceptions—she’s laying the foundations for the next generation of talent.
Based on research by Francis, Chugh, Yang etc in 2021, real progress will require more than individual efforts; it demands systemic change from industry leaders. To truly open doors for women, organisations must ensure policies are effectively implemented, resourced and monitored.
The path forward is clear: a more inclusive, flexible and supportive environment will benefit everyone, not just in construction but also in other industries such as automotive, engineering and horticulture, among others. Employers looking for skilled talent can go through solution providers such as the WPC Group, which connects businesses with apprentices and trainees, manages recruitment, training and mentoring to build future industry leaders. Employers know they have a trusted intermediary when award-winning programs are in place, and deliver tailored, cost-effective workforce solutions that drive productivity and innovation.
Feature Image: Emma Wallace.