11 minute read
Celebrating women in construction
Being female in a male-driven world is not often the easiest task. Having to challenge the traditional assumptions and stereotypes associated with the building industry, overcome self-doubt,and prove yourself over and over again are just some of the issues faced by women on a daily basis in the industry.
To celebrate our female builders for the diversity they bring, the challenges they overcome, and to inspire and encourage others, New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) asked our three female NZCB members to share more about their experiences.
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Niamh Short
Meet Niamh Short. Niamh is Irish but grew up in France. She moved to Wellington in 2001 with her husband and their three children.
Niamh and her business partner started Windy City Builders in 2018. They currently employ two apprentices and focus on renovations and extensions.
Was building your first career choice?
No! I studied psychology and was going to follow that path. But I met a New Zealander on his overseas trip, and we came to live in Wellington together. When we had children, I chose to stay at home to be with them until our youngest was six years old.
What inspired you to become a builder?
In my stay-at-home years, I was always a do-er. I would have ideas of what we or the kids needed, and I would go about making it. I would look in the shops, but nothing was ever exactly right, so I taught myself to make things. I started by making small things, like a coat stand, drawers, bookshelves, a wood box, benches, a doll’s house, tiled splashback. One day, my husband came home from work to find the children’s room stripped of linings! I learnt to gib with my father-in-law who used to be a builder and fostered my interest. I had to borrow tools from my brothers-in-law and lean on my father-in-law for building advice. We then had an extension put on our house. The builder saw my interest and encouraged it, allowing me to be involved in small ways at first. Eventually, I was inducted on the drop saw and cut all the purlins while they were on the rafters. I helped lay the floorboards, lifted ceiling sheets of gib, and installed and nailed off weatherboards. By the end of the project, the builder had given me a hand-me-down toolbelt and offered me a job!
When did you become trade qualified and where?
I did labouring in his company for about six months before deciding to sign up for an apprenticeship. From the beginning, he was keen for me to become an apprentice, but for me, this was a huge step. It meant I was committing to being in the trades, and was that something stay-at-home mums did? I hesitated for a long time because it felt outlandish to want this job. In the end, I signed up because I loved being on-site. I loved the physicality, the camaraderie and banter, the creativity, and with the apprenticeship I was paid while gaining a qualification. In the end it was a no-brainer to continue doing what I liked while learning. I trained with BCITO and qualified in 2018.
My first challenge was myself; I didn’t believe a stay-at-home mum could or should be a builder. I felt like an imposter! I worked so hard to prove myself, much more than I needed to. I had to be more valuable than any of the boys because there was a voice in my head saying this wasn’t my place. Eventually that voice got quieter. One challenge I loved was the learning. I had to learn a whole new set of vocabulary, learn how to use tools that I didn’t know existed, and continually take in new information. Some days in my apprenticeship, I just wanted to be told to dig a trench, so I wouldn’t have to think!
There are some assumptions and behaviours that are mildly challenging. These are small insidious things that prove society hasn’t quite adapted to having more women on building sites. For instance, most newcomers to site will assume I am the builder’s wife, the “admin lady”, the client, or designer. I can be standing on a ladder holding a rafter in one hand and a nail gun in the other, looking, talking and behaving like a builder, but I couldn’t simply just BE a builder!
I have been told I shouldn’t be lifting a heavy thing, that I’m too small to be a builder, or to let the boys do that. I’ve heard it’s great to have a woman around because we’re really good at finishings and details. I like to run organised and clean sites and my approach can be perceived as bossy, not just a tidy tradie. More often than not, construction questions are directed at my business partner or my apprentices rather than me.
That said, my experience has been overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. I have very rarely been faced with someone who doesn’t want me there. Most tradies and clients are supportive of having more women on-site. It is still relatively unusual to see women on-site, so I’m always open to conversations or questions from anyone who’s interested! Suddenly, I hear about the gas installer’s niece who wants to be a builder, or the joiner’s daughter wanting an apprenticeship. Being open and positive encourages people to speak up and normalises women’s presence on the site.
What are your goals for the future?
I really enjoy running Windy City Builders with my business partner Alex. It has been rewarding, exciting, fun, and at times stressful, terrifying, and overwhelming. No two days are the same and we’re learning more and more about scheduling, pricing, and communicating as each year goes by. So much of the job is about communicating and being open and honest. What would you like to see change in the building industry?
The industry is changing slowly but surely. I’ve been made to feel welcome, but I know this is not everyone’s experience. I think it’s important we all work towards changing the image of building to make room for any type of tradie. I think there should be more images of women being capable, competent workers on-site. The recurrent image of “guy in toolbelt, woman holding cup of tea/baby” needs to be flipped. Recently, the BCITO ads on TV showed a woman tradie, without her being the focus of the ad. This kind of background inclusion normalises women’s presence on-sites, and we need loads more like this. Girls (and their parents) need to be able to see successful women in building roles, so they know construction is a viable option for them. The more images we show and see of women working on sites, the more accepting and inclusive our industry, our clients, and our society will become!
Be yourself, stay open and positive. Show resilience and grit but you don’t have to be like the boys to be a good tradie. Don’t be too proud to reach out for help or support. A lot of the men need help and support too. We all bring something unique to site, whatever our gender. It’s good to be different!
Georgie Young
Meet Georgie Young. Georgie is based on Waiheke Island and owns Sisters Carpentry.
Georgie started as a sole trader in 2016, contracting exclusively to NZCB members Tomik Limited, an architectural building company which builds ultra-high end residential homes. In December last year Georgie went out on her own and has been running Sisters Carpentry Limited since. Georgie currently employs her best friend of 18 years, Lucy, who was a guide in the adventure tourism industry but is now training to be a builder. Together, Georgie and Lucy do renovations extensions and new builds.
Was building your first career choice?
No, I left school in my last year to pursue my dream of becoming a scuba diving instructor and travelling the globe.
What inspired you to become a builder?
I have always been consumed by desire for learning how to build and repair things. For my 16th birthday, I was given a toolbox full of mechanics tools as I had been doing all my own car repairs.
So, when I tried my hand at carpentry when I was 23 after returning from overseas, I became twitterpated with everything there was to learn on-site. From building walls and installing joinery to learning to swing my hammer and draw my tape and pencil in a flash.
I also fell in love with the sound my hammer makes when it swings in its cradle on my pinny and 10 years on, I still love that soft rattle.
When did you become trade qualified and where?
I completed my apprenticeship through BCITO in 2019 while helping build my bosses’ house on Waiheke Island.
I would say the biggest challenge of all was overcoming self-doubt. At times I doubted I was fast enough, strong enough, tough enough, just good enough in general to make a great chippy. Learning to overcome self-doubt and negative self-talk during my apprenticeship spilled over and improved every part of my life.
I also had a brain injury during my third year as an apprentice and was incapacitated for six months. I couldn’t drive or read properly but came right slowly. It took another five years to completely shake the chronic fatigue that came with Post-Concussion Syndrome.
What are your goals for the future?
I’m aiming to build a small, successful construction company.
I would love to see more ladies out there nailing studs, although there is a heck of a lot more now than when I started in the industry in 2012, which is fantastic.
If you want to try your hand at it, dive in and give it a go. It will either be the best decision you ever made, or you’ll know you tried it out and it wasn’t for you. But you won’t walk away from the experience empty-handed.
Don’t be intimidated by those catcalling builders you see in the movies. It’s really nothing like that! It’s usually a fun and supportive environment where you’re part of a smooth-running team. Think Bob the Builder. And if you find yourself in a team that makes you feel uncomfortable, find another one, whether you’re a man or a woman.
If your passion is your work, you’ll never work another day in your life.
Christine Thomas
Meet Christine Thomas. Christine is based in Palmerston North.
In 2019, Christine entered the NZCB Apprentice Challenge and went on to represent the Manawatu region at the National Finals held in conjunction with the NZCB Conference and Expo. Christine was the first female to compete in the finals.
Christine is the owner and director of CT Carpentry Limited, a small building business focusing on renovations, alterations, decks, fences, and small jobs the other builders won’t touch.
Was building your first career choice?
Not at all, I originally had my heart set on becoming a driver in the army. I really wanted to get behind the wheel of one of those Unimogs but ended up working as a support worker in a respite home for intellectually and physically disabled children, which I loved, but it wasn’t a perfect fit for me.
Celebrating women in construction
What inspired you to become a builder?
My partner and I purchased our first house in 2011, which needed a bit of work. I saw a building apprenticeship as a way of making an income as well as gaining the skills necessary to improve our new home. So far, we’ve renovated the kitchen and bathroom, as well as installed a soundproof wall. I didn’t want a job stuck behind a desk, I love getting dirty, and getting a workout is a bonus. As soon as I began my pre-trade at the Universal College of Learning Limited (UCOL), I knew I’d found my perfect career.
When did you become trade qualified and where?
I completed my apprenticeship in 2020 on the Industry Training Association Building (ITAB) programme through UCOL.
I’ve encountered some people who don’t believe women should be on work sites. You’ve got to be fairly thick-skinned to make it through your apprenticeship as a female, I think. But sticking it out certainly pays off.
What are your goals for the future?
My goal is to get more females into the building trade. I’m hoping I’ll be able to hire some keen female apprentices and pass my passion and knowledge on to them. A more personal goal is to build my family a new home. What would you like to see change in the building industry?
More females!
If you’re keen to get into the trades just give it a go. Being in a male-dominated workplace can be daunting but don’t let it be the thing that stops you. Learn from everyone you can and have fun doing it!
