THE WOMEN OF BOWER PROJECTS

A P P RENT I CES HI P
Photo:Steven Swan
THE WOMEN OF BOWER PROJECTS
Karen Kellock, MBA Apprenticeship Manager speaks with Ben Thomson and Jamelle Saade
of Bower Projects, along with new MBA apprentice, Raecene McGregor, the Building and
Construction Industry
After only a short conversation with Ben
Thomson, you are left with the strong impression
that Bower Projects value women in their
business. When asked why he felt so strongly
about having women at all levels of the business,
he answers simply, “Women bring diversity and
creativity – they look at things differently and bring
different opinions to any situation”
“What makes me good at my job is the way I
work with people”
Jamelle said it was hard when she first started
out, “I had no experience and I went into
this career with a blindfold on, but it was the
different people and environment that made
the difference. I’m still learning everyday”
I asked her what it’s like working for Bower
Projects: “Bower Projects is unique. I’m part of
a team and the level of respect I receive from
Ben, Adrian Banks and the rest of the team
make me want to be more involved. There’s no
feeling of exclusion. They are like family”
Jamelle shared with me a piece of advice
given to her when she first started out as a
Construction Management Cadet – ‘Don’t try to
be a man, and don’t be too girly either. Find your
space in the middle’ “I’ve seen some women
struggle in this industry, as they swear, yell and
scream, trying to fit in by ‘being rough and acting
like a man’. You need to remember that you are
still a woman and need to present yourself in a
proper manner. I don’t try to be someone I’m not,
on a day to day basis – I am myself and that’s
what has made me successful”
Bower Projects have committed to taking
on apprentices through Master Builders
Apprenticeship Service. Jamie Austin-Lean
started with Bower Projects on completion
of the Master Builders Pre Apprenticeship
Program on 12 October 2015.
“Women bring diversity and
creativity – they look at things
differently and bring different
opinions to any situation”
23
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6
Ben speaks incredibly highly of Jamelle
Saade, Project Engineer on Bower’s ‘Windsor
Garden Project’ at Baulkham Hills. Jamelle
is a young woman who has worked with
reputable builders in the past and started
with Bower Projects in 2015. She was runner
up Master Builders Association Cadet of the
Year in 2012 and after speaking with her for a
short time, you don’t need to be a genius to
know this young woman has found her place
in the industry. Her role involves liaising with
architects and engineers, sub-contractors,
local council and of course, the client.
She’s involved in design co-ordination and
development and tells me that there’s nothing
she hates about her job.
A P P RENT I CES HI P
Ben Thomson (left), Raecene McGregor, Jamelle Saade and Karen Kellock. Photo: Steven Swan
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6
Their new apprentice, Raecene McGregor, starts
on Tuesday 24 February 2016. When Raecene
left school, she originally wanted to be a Flight
Attendant. It was a family friend who asked her to
help out building some decks. During this time,
he recognized her capability and suitability for the
building industry and advised her to talk to MBA
about a Carpentry Apprenticeship.
Having completed the MBA Pre Apprenticeship
Program on 12 February 2016, Raecene was
offered a placement with Bower Projects.
Raecene has a lot to learn and Bower Projects
are more than willing to support her throughout
her apprenticeship.
this attitude by allocating the apprentices to
work on safety at the commencement of their
employment. Raecene will spend a good deal
of her time initially working with the Safety
Officer. Raecene will learn to recognize what is
unsafe and what needs to be done to make it
safe. From there she will learn the terminology
and the trades on site. She will have a mentor/
buddy to work with and will have someone
with her at all times. The most important thing
Bower aims for is to keep the apprentice
safe and how to communicate with those
she works with. Ben advises Raecene “If we
communicate properly, we can get the best out
of people and we are doing our job properly”
Ben Thomson explains to me how Bower
plan to do this: “Our apprenticeship Program
guides the apprentices through the industry
by providing them the opportunity to learn
the various facets of construction. Bower’s
main priority on site is safety and we enforce
These two ladies are not the only women
within the Bower Projects family. The list
of positions currently held by women is
impressive, they include: Reception, Accounts,
Chief Financial Officer, Project Engineer, HR/
Strategist, Hoist Operator, Traffic Controller,
24
Construction Management Cadet, Front End
Design Manager, Project Manager and now,
Carpentry Apprentice.
Ben is clear about the need for women
in the building and construction industry,
to maintain equality of gender within the
business and industry.
Bower Projects are always looking for great
people and are unashamedly recruiting women
into their ranks. Ben Thomson and I are about
to embark on a round of High School visits
to let the female leaders of tomorrow know
that there are businesses out there waiting for
them, and the opportunities are endless.