Sure there are a lot of males in the industry, but there are also a lot of females. The numbers are low but we are making ripples, and ripples turn into waves.”
“Industry Women Central is what we proposed needed to happen after the Women into Building project, which saw 80 women from around Queensland construct and design a small-lot home,” she says.
“After this project was completed, we sent a comprehensive report to the Industry Skills Council to start Industry Women Central, which would give women and businesses a place to go for information in all areas of construction and building.
I am also part of the Sunshine Coast Technical Trade Training committee, which rolls out trade day programs for young women thinking of doing a trade. It’s important to get this information out there because industry support is definitely out there, but it is scattered.”
Jeanette’s successful career stems back to when she started out as a personal assistant to one of South Australia’s top real estate agents, where she was unaware that her professional profile was already being marketed around the state.
“I landed a job managing a few real estate offices around South Australia, but then I wanted to take my job further and wanted to know more about how to build a house. I moved up to Queensland and secured this job with Buildmore and have been with them for seven years now,” says Jeanette.
Women are generally role models in everyday life. There is no reason women can’t do the same job men do, and what makes a project any different if it has women standing in front of it?”As a diligent worker Jeanette has remained a positive role model in the industry and her ability to involve women in a male-dominated world has been nothing but admirable. Jeanette receives contact from women from all over Queensland on a daily basis seeking advice on building-related issues. “I never put my hand up to be a mentor, but I started getting phone calls from women who wanted to be pointed in the right direction,” she says. “I want to aid women into building and show that young girls or women already in the industry can put their stories out there and realise there is no stereotype. “I’m definitely a people’s person, I don’t like to be shoved in the corner. I’m meeting different individuals every single day and because I’m not a government representative I can say things others can’t. I’ve got a voice that some others don’t have the courage to use.” Along with Jeanette’s lucrative background, she continues to push for a stronger female presence in the building industry by working with other networks such as the National Association for Women in Construction (NAWIC) and Supporting and Linking Tradeswomen (SALT) who supply women with monthly workshops and other educational events. “The key is to become more visible and accessible, the more women recognise they are role models and have something to give, the more the younger generation can see that,” she says. “Women are generally role models in everyday life. There is no reason women can’t do the same job men do, and what makes a project any different if it has women standing in front of it? “Sure there are a lot of males in the industry, but there are also a lot of females. The numbers are low but we are making ripples, and ripples turn into waves.”
