Coates, John Holland and BHP have come together to champion female representation in sport and heavy industry.
All three organisations are sponsors of the AFLW and are making a concerted push to encourage more female representation within traditionally male-dominated industries.
“At Coates we’re enacting a number of initiatives to improve female participation rates in our organisation across all key job groups,” Coates executive general manager – people and safety Elise Manns said.
“We’ve increased representation of women in our nationwide workforce from 18.4 per cent in FY21 to 22.2 per cent (as of October 31, 2023), and in management roles from 16 per cent to 22 per cent over the same period.
“But we know more needs to be done, as do our customers at John Holland and BHP. Only through understanding the challenges women face – both in sport and in the workplace – can we start to identify how we can continue to remove the barriers and even the playing field for women.”
As part of the initiative, Coates took part in an exclusive training session with AFLW Fremantle Dockers star Ebony Rose Antonio in Perth.
The aim of the session was to celebrate the rise in the percentage of women in sport and heavy industry, and to outline what more needs to be done to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive in their career.
Local employees from Coates were introduced to Antonio, who delivered insights into what it takes to be a female athlete and role model while juggling her role as a tradie off the field.
Attendees also took part in a rigorous training session based on what AFLW athletes undertake, as well as a friendly competition featuring 20-minute round-robin games.
“I’ve always worked hard, whether that’s been on field or off field, especially being an apprentice and being a female in a male dominated area, I’ve always had to work hard and prove myself to my male counterparts,” Antonio said.
“I love the fact that I get to be a role model for younger girls to look up to and to inspire, as I never had that opportunity when I was a young girl.”
With a target to reach 25 per cent female participation in both managerial positions and across the company by 2025, Coates has an established flexible working policy and in 2021 launched the Leadership, Excellence and Performance Program (LEAP) designed to identify and develop high-performing future female leaders.
John Holland, naming partner of the innovative Workplay platform for the AFLW – which connects female athletes in the sport directly to flexible employment, education and career development opportunities – has welcomed 18 AFLW players into its ranks.
The players come from almost a dozen different clubs and work in diverse and flexible roles across John Holland, from building and infrastructure projects to corporate functions.
“Creating meaningful change for women in construction is a big task, and there’s a long road ahead of us, but coming together as one united team provides a variety of different career pathways for athletes,” John Holland strategic talent programs manager Bronte Enright said.
“Staring into the issues around flexible working and equity and really hitting that head-on will benefit all our industries. We also know that sharing the journey through storytelling is critical to our success.”
BHP vice president human resources Elisa Nerone said championing women in industry and in sport is an important venture.
“We’ve seen the benefits for BHP in working to achieve gender balance across our global workforce, and that’s why we are partnering with others to create new pathways and increase female participation,” she said.
“It’s exciting to see organisations like the AFL, Coates, John Holland and BHP come together with a united voice and shared ambition to help girls and women across Australia pursue new opportunities and thrive in their chosen careers.”
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