Engage. Evolve. Empower.: Hansen Yuncken Showcases its Commitment to Women in Construction

Hansen Yuncken is proud to spotlight the success of its Engage. Evolve. Empower. Program – an ambitious initiative designed to strengthen women’s participation, leadership, and long-term career pathways across the construction industry.

Supported through the NSW Government’s Women in Construction Industry Innovation Program (IIP), Hansen Yuncken was one of only 13 successful recipients out of 77 applicants – securing over $250,000 in funding to deliver a suite of new engagement, development, and capability-building opportunities for women at all stages of their construction careers.

A Program Designed to Create Lasting Change

Developed in partnership with industry specialists and training organisations, Engage. Evolve. Empower. brings together three core pillars:

ENGAGE: Showcasing Real Women, Real Roles and Real Pathways

Through school outreach, community engagement, and a new industry-leading animation series produced with Everyday Massive, Hansen Yuncken is challenging outdated perceptions of the construction industry while inspiring the next generation of talent. These videos – each spotlighting real women and real career journeys – are being used in primary schools, high schools, tertiary education, training facilities and career expos, creating visibility for diverse career pathways across the entire business.

EVOLVE: Building Capability Through Statewide Inclusive Leadership

The Evolve pillar focuses on developing the skills, behaviours, and support mechanisms that nurture equitable and inclusive workplaces.

A key achievement has been the statewide rollout of Hansen Yuncken’s Inclusive Leadership Training Program, developed and delivered in partnership with The Learning Circle. This program has provided leaders across NSW with practical tools to embed respectful behaviours, challenge bias, and champion inclusive cultures on site and in office environments.

Alongside leadership capability building, Evolve has also delivered the development of a new Parental Leave Toolkit, supporting team members before, during and after parental leave. The toolkit includes tailored guidance and modules for:

• Pre-parental leave planning

• Staying connected and supported throughout parental leave

• Returning to work confidently and sustainably

These resources ensure a more consistent, inclusive and positive experience for team members navigating parental leave and career transitions.

EMPOWER: Supporting Women Through Targeted Leadership Development

The Empower pillar centres on creating an environment where women can not only enter the industry – but thrive and lead in it.

A major initiative has been the rollout of a Leadership Development Program for female team members, designed to grow capability in areas such as influence, communication, strategic thinking, and leadership presence. The program is supplemented with personalised leadership coaching, providing each participant with tailored support to build confidence, refine strengths and progress their development goals.

These combined initiatives strengthen Hansen Yuncken’s commitment to creating equitable career pathways and empowering women at all stages of their journey—from early career through to emerging leadership roles.

Hansen Yuncken’s National People & Culture Manager, Claudine Lucas, said the program has strengthened Hansen Yuncken’s commitment to fostering a truly inclusive workplace.

“Engage. Evolve. Empower. has enabled us to meaningfully shift the way we support, develop, and retain women in our business and across the industry. It’s been an important investment in our people and our future.”
— Claudine Lucas, National People & Culture Manager

Delivering Real Impact Across the Business

Throughout 2024-25, Engage. Evolve. Empower. has reached team members across project sites, regional communities, and head offices. Highlights include:

• Launch of nine animated career-story videos for schools, careers events, recruitment initiatives and social media.

• Delivery of statewide Inclusive Leadership Training to leaders across NSW.

• Development of a Parental Leave Toolkit to support team members before, during and after parental leave.

• Rollout of a bespoke Leadership Development Program for women, enhanced with coaching.

• Strengthened partnerships with education providers, industry leaders, and the broader IIP network.

Hansen Yuncken remains dedicated to driving meaningful and measurable change for women in construction—creating equitable pathways, strong leadership pipelines, and a more inclusive industry for generations to come.