A Victorian government tunnel project will make history by recruiting the first ever all-women tunnel boring machine (TBM) team during the construction of the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL).
Almost 870 women have applied for a spot on the TBM crew in an initiative to attract more women to the industry. Several roles are available on the team including the TBM operator, gantry and segment crane operators, grouters and support roles.
The world-first team will be led by Isolde Piet, the SRL East Tunnels South Construction Manager and the first female TBM pilot in the world. She has described the initiative as a “game-changer”.
“By showing that it can be done, we really hope to change the industry and encourage more women to see it as a career pathway,” Piet told Women’s Agenda.
“Training women and bringing them into the TBM crew will hopefully leave a legacy for future projects – these women will help inspire the next generation of women in construction.”
Piet said the initiative has received an “overwhelming, positive response”, as the SRL management team reviews the hundreds of applications they received.
“We’re looking to fill the roles on the all-women crew – and are also investigating other opportunities for these talented women right across the project and in our parent companies,” Piet said.
“Our crew doesn’t have to be made up of women who are already highly skilled and experienced – we’ll be offering a training program to give them the skills they need to enter the industry and have the confidence they need to excel.”
The SRL said at least 10 per cent of total labour hours that will go into the construction of the Tunnels South will be worked by women, with the all-women TBM team expected to commence working in 2027. Trains on the SRL are not expected to be taking passengers until 2035.’
According to statistics from the Victorian government, just 2 per cent of Australia’s construction workforce is made up of women.
The construction industry also has a stark gender pay gap – 30.6 per cent, according to WGEA. This means for every $10 paid to a man in construction, his female counterpart will earn $7.72.
Sexism and discrimination within construction means there is a trend for women to leave the industry, despite rising numbers of women enrolling in construction or trade courses.