In Queensland, 15 percent of workers in construction are female, according to Queensland’s Department of Energy and Public Works. Naomi Riches from GemLife would like to see more women join the ranks.
Naomi began working for the over-50s lifestyle resort developer in March. Currently she is wrapping up work on GemLife Highfields Stage Five ahead of starting on Stage Six.
“I love it,” she said. “My only regret is that I didn’t do this years ago.”
At 46, Naomi was looking for a career change after working in nursing and retail. She decided to try the construction industry and applied for a vacancy at GemLife.
“I wanted to do something different, I really wanted to challenge myself,” she said. “Back in the 1990s, when I was at school, the construction industry was never promoted as an option. If it had been, then that’s what I would have chosen for my career.”
Naomi’s primary role is in residential stores, which means taking delivery of building supplies as they arrive at GemLife Highfields and getting them to each build site to ensure the trades have everything they need to complete the resort’s high-quality homes.
The jill-of-all-trades says she loves the variety in her workday.
“One day I’ll be delivering carpets to the construction sites, the next it will be operating the street sweeper, wielding a drill or pressure cleaning the outside one of the newly constructed homes,” she said.
“Working for GemLife has given me a great opportunity to learn from the other trades. I’m using hand tools like drills much more than I ever have before!”
Naomi has a heavy rigid vehicle licence as well as tickets to operate the street sweeper and forklift. One piece of equipment she has her eye on is the digger.
“I’m impressed by the operators and the work they do, so I wouldn’t mind giving that a try,” she said. “And through GemLife I’ll have the opportunity to get my ticket for that machine as well.”
Being one of the few women in a male-dominated trade might be intimidating for some, but not for Naomi.
“All the guys are great, I get on with them all and I’ve learned so much from them already,” she said. “They’re also very funny and have some great stories to tell.”
Another great thing about working for a company like GemLife is seeing a community grow.
“When I started, Highfields Stage Five had only just begun building and now people are moving in, it’s very satisfying,” said Naomi.
And how do GemLife homeowners react to a female tradie on site?
“They love it! They’ll say, ‘good on you, it’s great to see’,” she said.
What is Naomi’s advice to other women who are looking to start their career in construction with GemLife?
“I say go for it. It’s a really satisfying job that I wish I’d started years ago,” she said. “I’m loving it. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
GemLife is one of Australia’s fastest-growing over-50s lifestyle resort operators, with ten communities across Queensland, northern New South Wales and Victoria, and many more in the pipeline.