Girls with Hi-Vis month underway

Infrastructure Industry launches campaign to attract more women to the workforce

Wellington, 2 June 2017: Women around the country are donning Hi-Vis attire this month for a 'hands on' taste of working in the Infrastructure Industry.

The annual 'Girls with Hi-Vis' initiative lead by Connexis - the Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation (ITO) - sees staff already working in the Infrastructure Industry inviting sisters, daughters, friends, cousins and wives to work for a day for a 'hands on experience' on the job to showcase the many career options.

Connexis has partnered with Civil, Energy, 3Waters and Telecommunications companies throughout the country for a series of open days. The first is being held at Vector in Taranaki, which is participating for the first time.

Connexis Interim-Chief Executive David Worsnop says, "Girls with Hi-Vis is one of Connexis' key strategies to encourage women to consider a career in the Infrastructure Industry. While jobs in the electricity supply, telecommunications, civil construction and water industries traditionally employ men, there is also a great opportunity for women to have a rewarding career as well.

"While women make up 50 percent of the country's population, less than 4 percent of women are trade and technical trainees with Connexis. We've identified women as a key potential source to help staff the workforce and industry are working alongside, actively supporting to promote and increase numbers."

David adds that the Government's recent announcement of an $11 billion investment into infrastructure highlights the need for recruiting more quality workers, especially as it's already short of skilled staff with a prediction of 25,000 more workers required to meet industry demand over the next 3 years. Connexis sees women as key to filling these roles.

"A 'hands on' taste of the job is a perfect way to show women exactly what a usual day's work entails and hopefully it will inspire them to start a new career," David says.

Industry partners for Girls with Hi-Vis® 2017 are Visionstream, Auckland; WaterCare Auckland; Dempsey Wood Auckland; Counties Power Manukau; Horizon Energy Group Whakatane, Mainpower, Rangiora; Meridian, Wellington, Twizel and Manapouri; Genesis Energy Turangi and Vector, Taranaki. They will all be welcoming women to experience their company and industry during the month of June.

"It's great to see all these companies working together to ensure that this campaign is a success. They're all very keen to recruit quality staff and view women as key to helping fill these roles moving forward and see Girls with Hi-Vis key to helping achieving this," David says.

This year Girls with Hi-Vis® has teamed up with Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) to cross promote the #BuildAKL campaign across the region.

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