As the state government looks to male-dominated industries to increase their female workforce and address the gender pay gap, one major Tasmanian engineering and planning firm is aiming to play its part.
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Less than 5 per cent of PDA Surveyors, Engineers and Planners' technical workforce is made up of women - a common theme in the industry - with no female engineers and just one female surveyor.
The company has recently hired Justine Brooks to head its planning department, with a pathway for Ms Brooks to become the first female director in its 50-year history.
She said the lack of women in the company was not intentional, but instead a reflection of how few women were being encouraged to pursue careers in engineering and surveying.
"It's not a cultural issue for the organisation, it's something that needs to be fixed earlier on," Ms Brooks said.
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"Girls should be exposed to these industries - that should be normalised - so they understand how interesting the work actually is.
"A company like PDA can become an advocate for young people choosing to pick STEM subjects and pursue these careers."
Minister for Women Sarah Courtney released the government's Leadership and Participation for Women Action Plan earlier this month, the next step in Tasmania's attempt to achieve equity in the workplace.
The plan detailed how the gender pay gap is partly driven by male-dominated industries like construction and mining attracting higher wages than care-based industries that have a larger female workforce.
The government resolved to bring in measures to attract more women to these industries through a statewide program and a roundtable between government and industry to provide more educational opportunities.
Ms Brooks said the private sector could also play its part.
"I will be speaking to universities and encouraging women to take up careers in surveying and engineering as legitimate and interesting career pathways," she said.
"It also comes down to the workplace. There have been female planners who left council roles because they were unable to take part-time hours when they had children, and they ended up starting their own companies that have ended up amazing."
Adam Holmes
From Adelaide to south-west Victoria, Bendigo to Tasmania, I've provided in-depth stories in politics, environmental affairs, issues facing disadvantaged communities, legal affairs and much more. Contact me at adam.holmes@examiner.com.au or on Twitter at @adamholmes010
From Adelaide to south-west Victoria, Bendigo to Tasmania, I've provided in-depth stories in politics, environmental affairs, issues facing disadvantaged communities, legal affairs and much more. Contact me at adam.holmes@examiner.com.au or on Twitter at @adamholmes010
