MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education)
Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September 2021:
On another note, how fantastic it is to see leadership from young women like Terang’s Sophie Molan, who has joined her family business to work in quarries driving 50 tonnes of earthmoving machinery.
Sophie made a drastic change in career direction and completed her certificate III in civil construction (plant operations) through Geelong’s Gordon TAFE and, in doing so, won the Gordon Building and Construction Excellence Award 2021.
In Sophie’s words, she is the first girl to take on this work for WA Molan and Sons and says, ‘It feels like a win because I can show them that I can do it too’.
Sophie is a great example for women who are being encouraged by this government with programs to remove barriers in traditionally male-dominated jobs, such as the $5 million women-in-trades fund and our women in construction strategy, which began in 2019.
Congratulations to all of these great Western Victorians.