Disengaged women enter workforce thanks to Lendlease Engineering partnership

Jun 26, 2018

Whitelion NSW partnered with Lendlease Engineering as part of its Women in Construction program, successfully providing opportunities for ten disengaged women to enter the construction industry.

Supported through the Department of Employment’s Launch into Work program, the initiative was set up to assist the ten participants through a six-week pre-employment training program, before they progressed into full-time employment positions as paid apprentices working on The Northern Road projects at Penrith NSW.

The partnership came as a result of Lendlease Engineering’s acknowledgement that working with people from disadvantaged backgrounds can require specialist expertise, particularly when it comes to supporting their ability to cope with and address non-vocational barriers to remaining in sustainable and ongoing employment.

For each participant, the pre-employment training included on-site skills development, as well as seven units of vocational training that contributed towards a Certificate III in Construction, as well as a construction white card, first aid certificate, and working safely at heights and traffic control tickets.

Having received support from Whitelion throughout their training, the organisation continued to offer support to the women throughout the first six months of their apprenticeships, which commenced in October 2017.

Watch the video on our Facebook page for more information on this life-changing initiative.