Building skills through women’s apprenticeship program
Posted on: 23/04/2025 - 9:45am
We’re helping more women like Jackie kickstart their careers in construction.
Jackie currently works on one of our housing projects in Essex Street, Prahran, where we’re building 155 new homes, in partnership with Building Communities, including ICON as the builder.
She is a ‘dogger’, also known as a crane spotter and rigger, playing an essential role on the construction site by directing the crane operators to move large volumes of materials and gear around the site.
“We’ve got two cranes on site at the moment, one is building a 10 -storey and the other is building a 6-storey,” Jackie said.
“We tell the crane operators where to move the load, and if we’re in a blind spot we’ve got to let them know where to land it.”
Jackie worked as a hairdresser for 25 years before deciding to pursue a new career path in construction with CK Formwork.
The recommendation came from an unlikely source: her nail technician’s husband.
She describes the work as “fast-paced and exciting.”
She’s now encouraging other women who might be thinking about a career in construction to “give it a go.”
About the BuildHer program
Our Essex Street development is one of five housing sites where ICON is launching the women’s apprenticeship program, BuildHer, in May 2025.
BuildHer provides women with employment training, mentoring support and hands-on experience on construction sites within their first 12 months as apprentices or trainees.
ICON has partnered with Skillinvest Australia to bring BuildHer to our Ground Lease Model 2 sites in Prahran, South Yarra, Port Melbourne and Hampton East. They plan to employ up to 6 female apprentices in their first intake.
ICON’s Social Procurement Coordinator, Alex Callon, said the BuildHer program is about giving participants the tools, industry connections and confidence needed to thrive in construction.
“This isn’t just about training — it’s about building careers,” Alex said.
“It’s a community where women can learn, grow and break new ground together.”