On June 27, the ATS Diversity in Tunnelling (DiT) group hosted the online event, Bridging the Gap: Addressing Gender Pay Disparities in Engineering.

The forum, which was the ATS’s contribution to International Women in Engineering Day 2024 and co-hosted with the Engineers Australia’s Women in Engineering (WiE) group, attracted over 100 registrants interested in taking part in a rich discussion on one of the engineering industry’s most pressing and continuing issues: the gender pay gap.

ATS DiT spokesperson Annalena Chapman, a Senior Engineer in Ground & Underground Engineering at Aurecon, said that even though it was a fully online event for participants, the speakers were in the same room which created a great atmosphere.

“The speakers enjoyed connecting with each other and discussing the topic. Being together encouraged the discussion and made it more engaging from the viewer’s perspective too,” Annalena says.

The diverse panel of speakers hailed from various sectors, each bringing a unique perspective to the table. The panel included Karen Whelan from Queensland University of Technology (QUT); Dr. Melinda Laundon from the Australian Cobotics Centre and Centre for Decent Work and Industry at QUT; Maria Koutsimpiris from Acciona AU & NZ; and Cathy Sanders from Acciona.

Annalena highlighted the exceptional quality of the speakers and says the two presentations given by Melinda Laundon and Maria Koutsimpiris together with Cathy Sanders prior to the panel discussion were excellent, as they provided essential background information and dispelled common myths about the gender pay gap.

“The presentations gave an inspiring start to the event with their key message that change is dependent on the actions of individuals and managers,” she says.

“That’s why events like this are so vital in getting the message out there. The construction industry is quite behind when it comes to the gender pay gap which underscores the urgent need for continued dialogue and action within the sector.”

Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive with a fellow DiT committee member Amanda Huang remarking that the presentations and discussions were eye-opening, providing valuable insights into the existence and extent of the gender pay gap and the information available to address it.

Looking ahead, the DIT Group is already planning its next event, set to address the challenges faced by international engineers joining the Australian workforce later this year. This event will build on the momentum generated by “Bridging the Gap,” and continue the essential work of fostering diversity and inclusion within the engineering sector.

More information

This event was organised by Annalena Chapman, Nadine Makin and Amanda Huang on behalf of ATS DiT. For more information on how to join this dynamic team of changemakers, including being a speaker or sponsor, please contact: ATS@engineersaustralia.org.au

UPDATE: DiT Mentor Alliance

The second round of the successful mentorship program of DiT, the Mentor Alliance, is currently in full swing. A new feature of the program is the Learning and Development forums for mentors and mentees which offer plenty of opportunity for personal growth and to inspire interesting discussions amongst the participants. The EOI for the third round will come out in February 2025 so keep an eye out for that if you want to be part of this fantastic program. For any questions about the Mentor Alliance, please reach out: diversityintunnelling@gmail.com