Taylor’s Learning Partnership Program is proving that when young women can see the construction industry up close, they begin to see themselves in it.
Now in its second year, the multi-week, industry-embedded program has been delivered in partnership with Ravenswood School for Girls, engaging Year 9 students in a real-world challenge: how do we attract more women into construction?
The program was designed to address a persistent problem. Young women have limited visibility of construction as a viable career, and even less awareness of the diverse professional roles available beyond the trades. By connecting students directly with live construction projects, industry professionals, and authentic problem-solving briefs, the program sets out to change that.
At Ravenswood, the context could not be more tangible. Taylor is currently delivering the Anne Johnstone Wellbeing and Sports Centre, and this active construction site within the school grounds has given students something rare: direct, firsthand exposure to the industry at a pivotal moment in their education.
The results speak for themselves. Following the 2025 program at Ravenswood late last year, 90% of students reported a positive perception of the construction industry, 88% said the program increased their interest in a construction career, and 100% said they would recommend the program to other students. Across both years of delivery, student sentiment has shifted dramatically.
What makes this program stand out, however, is not just the statistics. It is the quality and ambition of what the students produced.
Each group was tasked with developing an initiative to increase the representation of women in the construction industry. Students presented full proposals, complete with partnership strategies, financial feasibilities, and visual pitches designed to engage a professional panel. The breadth and depth of ideas was, by any measure, impressive.
Several groups focused on reaching girls early, identifying a gap the industry has largely overlooked: that the primary and early high school years are when perceptions are formed, and that targeted, engaging interventions at this stage can shift the trajectory of career thinking entirely. Ideas in this space included pop-up stalls and interactive experiences where younger students could meet tradespeople and subcontractors, try on hard hats, and engage through selfie walls and QR-code activations that made construction feel accessible and exciting.
Others took a digital approach. One group developed a concept for an interactive digital magazine built around construction careers, incorporating games, apps, and design challenges that invited students to create their own architectural ideas and enter competitions.
Role-play card sets were proposed as an interactive tool to help students explore the broad range of roles within the industry, from engineering and project management to contracts, sustainability, and design. The aim was to make visible what is often invisible: that construction is a profession with as many career pathways as any other industry.
Some of the most considered ideas centred on community impact and sustainability. Proposals explored partnerships with organisations such as Lego to engage younger audiences through hands-on building play, as well as social enterprise models focused on building tiny homes to give back to local communities. These ideas reflected a generation that thinks about industry not just as a career but as a platform for broader impact.
Throughout the program, students developed skills in communication, critical thinking, and confidence in presenting to industry professionals.
For Taylor, the experience has been equally powerful. The initiative reflects our commitment to advocating for women in construction.
The key message is simple: when young women can see the industry, they can see themselves in it. The Taylor Learning Partnership Program is making that visible, one cohort at a time.
A Partnership Built on Shared Values
The Learning Partnership Program sits alongside a broader commitment Taylor has made to championing women and opportunity through our relationship with Ravenswood School for Girls. We are proud to have recently announced our Major Partnership of the 2026 Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize, Australia’s highest-value art prize for women artists, now in its landmark 10th year. Just as the Learning Partnership Program works to open doors for the next generation of women in construction, the Art Prize celebrates the voices and achievements of women who have backed themselves in a field where they have historically been underrepresented. Both partnerships reflect the same belief: that visibility creates possibility, and that Taylor has a role to play in building both.