Invitation to a special event

A conference on skills and training development for women in construction, forestry, mining and energy related industries will be held in Sydney early next month.
This conference is of major importance to Australian industry and is supported by CFMEU, Skills DMC, CPSISC and ForestWorks ISC. A dinner will be held on 8 November with the full-day conference the following day.
The aim is to bring together participants from across the country and across a range of construction, forestry, mining and energy industries. Together they will design and recommend changes in industry practice so that the industry – assisted by Government policy – can achieve skills and training development to lead or complement action to address the under-representation of women in these industries and occupations.
• Together conference participants will consider strategies to encourage women into these industries and occupations
• Together participants will look at ways to ensure women receive the same, appropriate skills training for work in construction, forestry, mining and energy industries
• Together they will consider strategies to ensure women have the same career paths and employment opportunities as male counterparts, once they are in construction, forestry, mining and energy industries.
The conference will include sharing information about research and consideration of trial initiatives that have been carried out in construction, forestry, mining and energy industries.
It will present the reality and disadvantages of the current under-representation of women in construction, forestry, mining and energy industries – identifying key issues for attention.
The Conference will provide a focus for discussion with Governments for relevant announcements at the Conference to build on achievements to date, noting that any areas for policy development need to be within existing policy parameters.
A conference dinner will be held on the evening of 8 November to allow participants to meet and hear from representatives from the Australian Government address this important policy issue.
Dinner: 7pm onwards L’Aqua Terrace Room, Rooftop Level, Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour, Sydney.
Conference: 9 November 9am – 5pm, Trades Hall Auditorium, 10/377 Sussex Street, Sydney.
The conference program is:
8.30am Registration Opens
Arrival Tea and Coffee
9.00am Conference Opens
Welcome to Country
Opening Address:
Overview of national implications for women and for industry. Why is low participation of women an issue? What benefits could be expected from increased women participation?
9.40am Session one
Current situation of women in male dominated industries
Presentation:
Facts and figures of women in construction, forestry, mining and energy industries
Panelist Q & A:
What could women perceive as wrong with a job in construction, forestry, mining and energy industries? Is there any basis for this perception?
10.45am Morning Tea and Coffee Break
11.00am Session two
Strategies to encourage women into construction, forestry, mining and energy industries
Speaker 1: Barriers to entry
Speaker 2: Girls Day Out
Panelist Q & A:
What are the barriers to women joining the construction, forestry, mining and energy industries? Are the same barriers evident in each case? Does current industry practice and or training take gender into account? If so, how? If not, what are the barriers to doing so? What elements of management and practice need to change?
12.30pm Lunch break
1.30pm Session three
Identify ways to ensure women receive the same, appropriate skills training for work in male dominated industries and occupations
Case study 1: Overcoming the barriers
Case study 2: Women into building
Panelist Q & A:
Creating job opportunities, support and encouragement – what must industry do to ensure women can access training?
2.45pm Afternoon tea
3.15pm Session four
Ensuring women have appropriate career paths and employment opportunities in male dominated occupations and industry
Case study 1: Identify, understand
and retain skills
Case study 2: Doing better business
Panelist Q and A:
Retaining women and ensuring appropriate career planning and implementation
3.45pm Session five
Understanding the legislation and policy
Panelist 1: Government gender related policy
Panelist 2: Specific training regarding women’s participation
Panelist 3: OH&S perception v reality
4.25pm Session six
Key points and issues from conference regarding recruitment & retention of women in construction, forestry, mining and energy industries
Panelist Q & A: Commitments going forward
5.00pm Conference ends