PART OF MY LIFE by Sandra Steele, K&L Gates

I NEVER DREAMT NAWIC WOULD BECOME SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY LIFE

by Sandra Steele

Construction and Infrastructure Partner, K&L Gates & NAWIC National President (2008-2013) and Life Member

My first job in the construction industry came along quite early in my career. I followed a close friend of mine to work in the construction team of a national law firm in Brisbane. I loved the work and culture instantly. I have never looked back and have continued to practise in construction law ever since. Having said that, I haven’t always been in private practice. Through my NAWIC networks, an opportunity arose for me to join Lendlease in 2006. I absolutely loved my time there, I worked amongst a very talented team of lawyers and completely enjoyed being part of the business. I am grateful for the many opportunities provided to me during that time including the opportunity to work on so many interesting projects in a collaborative environment. Lendlease is hugely supportive of women in construction and of NAWIC. Knowing that was a big factor in my decision to join the company. In 2013, I made the decision to return to private practice at K&L Gates. Today I am the Practice Group Leader for the Real Estate and Construction Group Australia. I am a Construction and Infrastructure Partner and I work on construction, infrastructure and renewable energy projects. My work involves assisting my clients through all stages of a project’s life - the contract formation stage, contract administration and dispute avoidance and if it becomes necessary, dispute resolution. I co-chair the Diversity Committee for K&L Gates in Australia and also sit on the Australian Board.

NAWIC - THE EARLY DAYS

I first joined NAWIC in 1996 in Brisbane. It was a very different organisation then. I initially joined to attend events and meet other women in the industry. I moved to Sydney in 2000 and started a new job with a global law firm. At that time a colleague and friend of mine, who was on the NSW Chapter Education Committee, asked me to take her place on the committee as she was about to get married. I thought my involvement at that stage would be temporary - but I was very wrong about that! I became extremely ambitious for NAWIC and over the years I found I wanted to keep doing more. When I first joined the Education Committee we were only then starting to look at offering university scholarships, mentoring programs and the like. The NAWIC I knew then was predominantly about events and those events were much smaller than the ones that NAWIC holds today. The events were an opportunity to bring women in construction together and to create a much needed network. Today’s NAWIC is more about advocacy and leading change in the industry, it’s about giving back.

HIGHLIGHTS OF MY TIME AT NAWIC

One of the proudest moments during my time at NAWIC was the launch of our Building a Better Future website in 2006. The website had inspirational stories told by 80 NAWIC members aimed at encouraging women to enter

Promoting the Building a Better Future website

Past NAWIC Presidents - Jennifer Bicknell, Irene Wales and Sandra Steele

A Board meeting held during Sandra’s tenure

“There are too many benefits to recall being part of NAWIC. On a personal level, I have made lifelong friends who share my passion for empowering women in the industry.”

the construction industry. I was also very proud of the launch of the mentoring program with the Master Builders Association (MBA) and Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) which, in 2007-2008, mentored 150 women. Another highlight for me was the inaugural NAWIC International Women’s Day (IWD) Scholarship in 2009. The IWD Scholarship offered funding for research and international travel for a white paper on affordable housing and increasing women’s participation in building trades. After a few years on the Education Committee I was elected to the NSW Chapter Board and after a few more years was elected the NSW Chapter President, a position I held until 2005. This led to my joining the National Board. I was elected NAWIC National President in June 2008, a role I held for five years. I have three beautiful daughters, Lucinda, Sarah and Eloise. When I was pregnant with my third (Eloise) I informed the National Board I was stepping down and that it was time for someone else to take over and lead NAWIC to even greater heights. There are too many benefits to recall being part of NAWIC. On a personal level, I have made lifelong friends who share my passion for empowering women in the industry. Joining a NAWIC committee (and later the Board) enabled me to develop new skills in a safe environment. I loved that it was an industry-specific association from which I could learn, expand my network and share experiences.

THE GREATER NEED FOR WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

Whilst the perception of women in the industry has definitely changed Sandra’s daughter there is still so Eloise visiting her at the office much work to do. The percentage of women in the construction industry has not changed significantly since the 1990s, remaining at around 12% in Australia.

The cocktail party which was part A majority of of the NAWIC 2007 Conference the women represented in this figure perform administrative work. Research conducted by the Victorian Government as part of its Women in Construction Strategy report shows that over the past 30 years women only make up around 2% of trade and semi-skilled workers in Australian construction1 . The low representation of women in construction is what NAWIC strives to address and the key to change in my view is the education of both those in the industry and those seeking to enter it. Despite the under-representation of women, there are many benefits of pursuing a career in the construction industry. The sector is resilient and as we all know infrastructure is booming in Australia and worldwide. There are an endless and diverse range of opportunities for a career in construction, both onsite and back at head office. A career in construction allows you to work in a collaborative way and to really make a difference in your community and beyond. You can be involved in projects that transform and create a better environment for all of us. I believe it is critically important for women to enter the industry. The construction industry has plenty to offer and women have plenty to offer the industry. Not to mention the economic benefits - we all know that gender diversity is good for business. Diversity of ideas and approaches drives growth and innovation.