Q & A WITH PIP SELDONFounder of the Healthy Tradie Project
How did you get into the building and construction industry? It is no surprise that construction is in my blood, with a father and two brothers all working in the industry. My career in construction began in 2009 with an opportunity to join a local Canberra construction company. Whilst I didn’t have tertiary building or construction qualifications, I was filled with curiosity and an eagerness to learn. I’d spent my 10 years’ prior working for an importer of luxury yachts. So when I shifted from managing the construction of boats to managing the construction of buildings, I did so with the mindset that I would show up, do the work and commit to learn what I didn’t know. My 10+ years in the industry has been an incredible journey. As a Project Manager I spent time in both Australia and New Zealand working with some fantastic clients and contractors. Many in our industry are driven by the desire to work on large scale projects, but for me, the most memorable was building the Australian Memorial in Wellington, New Zealand to honour the ANZAC Centenary. The opportunity to be part of such a significant project ignited a spark within me to dive deep in to discovering how I could be of service to others.
PHOTO BY LYNDON MARCEAU PHOTOGRAPHY
What wellbeing measures have Kane Constructions put in place? The health and wellbeing of our employees is always front of mind and our ACT team led by myself and General Manager, Jo Farrell, support our team in adopting the following: 1. Flexible Work Structures We are outcome focused, encouraging our teams to leave work each day and have time for life. We support employees in attending significant and/or scheduled family events and for those with children, we encourage them to attend special school events and be active in child pick up / drop off. 2. Me Days We offer all employees 2 ‘Me Days’ per year. 3. The 5-Day Working Week
WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION
Our construction sites operate Monday to Friday, with weekend work an exception to the rule. We believe it is important for every worker to have a weekend. 4. Equal Conditions for both Men and Women Whether it’s pay, training and development, on-site conditions or our gender diversity target, we are firmly focused on equality at Kane (ACT).
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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 2 2020
