By Kaarin Gaukrodger, Executive Director, Connexis | Te Pūkenga

To tackle critical skills shortages within infrastructure industries, we must be more visible to young people, encourage diversity, and bring new talent into the infrastructure workforce.

Girls with Hi-Vis® (GWHV) events, held every June, are key to increasing our visibility and diversity, and stepping new talent closer to a career in infrastructure. 

During the GWHV events, female high school students visit infrastructure companies and sites in their local area. They are given hands-on experience, such as working with specialised tools and operating heavy vehicles or machinery, and they hear directly from other women already working in the sector. It is also an opportunity for them to build relationships with key employers in their own local area, as well as for local businesses to connect with their next generation of workers. But perhaps most importantly, GWHV opens students’ minds to the possibility of a career in infrastructure – to be involved in large-scale projects, constructing major assets, using big machinery, developing technical solutions and, most importantly, keeping New Zealanders connected, healthy, and moving.

The success of GWHV has continued growing over the past eight years, and we are now seeing students who had attended an event employed in companies and helping to host events. 

This year was our largest yet, with more than 30 events held across the country and hundreds of students in attendance. This shows our industry’s remarkable effort to involve more women in the infrastructure workforce to address the skills shortage.

Connexis is the infrastructure division of Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology. To get in touch, call 0800 486 626 or email askus@connexis.org.nz.