Women in Construction Awards – recognising excellence in NZ

Women in Construction Awards – recognising excellence in New Zealand

Hays held the inaugural ‘Women in Construction Awards’ on Thursday 20th March in Christchurch to recognise and reward women who have achieved excellence in the construction industry, companies that are committed to developing the careers of women in the industry, and individuals who support women in the industry.

The first award, the ‘Women in Construction Excellence Award’, was in recognition of a female construction professional with the highest levels of achievement and contribution. The award winner was Vanessa Bell from Men @ Work.

Maiden Group won the award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Women in Construction – Company’, which was an acknowledgement of an organisation that has supported the development of women in the construction industry.

Finally the ‘Contribution for Supporting Women in Construction’ award recognised an individual who has provided outstanding support to women in the construction industry within the last two years. The winner was Coralie Pollard, Commercial Manager at Landmark Homes.

Nominations were received from employers of all sizes working in Christchurch’s construction industry.

“These awards recognise the outstanding contribution made by women in construction – and are timely recognition in light of the essential contribution women are making to the rebuild of Christchurch,” says Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand.

“The number of women working in construction has grown significantly over recent years, but it remains a male-dominated industry. The objective of the Women in Construction Awards is to support the associations that bring attention to the outstanding performance of female construction professionals and highlight to young women the benefits of a career in construction.

“Given the sheer scope of the construction work required to rebuild Christchurch, and the ongoing skills shortages within construction, it is essential we recognise and celebrate the success of women in this profession and encourage more women to consider a construction career.

“These awards are the first of their kind in Christchurch, and due to their overwhelming success, Hays will extend the awards to Wellington and Auckland in 2015. Hays’ objective is for the awards to become an annual celebration of women in construction across New Zealand,” said Jason.

The award ceremony – guest speakers:
The following guest speakers shared their insights on working in New Zealand’s construction industry:
• Julie Potter, Senior Manager of Hays Construction in Christchurch;
• Dallas Welch, Acting CEO for Ministry of Women’s Affairs;
• Trina Lincoln, Chapter Chairwoman for the National Association of Women in Construction, Special Counsel: Construction at Anthony Harper;
• Carolyn Savage, Architect and President for the Federation of Business and Professional Women.

Hays, the world’s leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.

ENDS

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