Company Announcement - The annual African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo, taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre, from Tuesday, 12 May to Thursday, 14 May 2015 offers a prime platform to showcase the increasingly vital role women play in the construction industry. In acknowledgment of women in the industry, the African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo will host the third annual Women in Construction Awards Glamour Cocktail Evening, which will take place on the 13 May 2015.

Project Director of the Women in Construction Awards, Tanitha Jolly says, “The construction and built environment industry is a very male dominated sector. The Women in Construction awards allows for the industry to focus on the role, efforts and achievements of women in the industry“. Gender based transformation, though at a slower pace than is necessary, has however taken place throughout the last few years. In light of this, the Women in Construction awards are vital to acknowledge and celebrate the expanded roles now available for women in Africa’s burgeoning construction industry. Equally, the Women in Construction awards also serves as a platform to recognise and identify organisations and companies which develop women’s roles through innovative training programmes.

The nominations for awards are both individual and organizational. Individual nomination categories are set to recognise women who are pioneers in innovation within the built environment, as well as identify “New Starters” –  women under the age of 30 years – who through their efforts to date have been identified as women “to watch” as they get a foothold within the sector. The organizational nomination categories include “Excellence in career development” and the “Most Innovative Women Training Programme”.

The judges for the 2015 awards stem from various renowned industry professionals from across the globe. Amongst others, South African judges include, Herbert Uzoegbo, a Professor at the University of Witswatersrand, Sonja Pilusa, the CEO of the Construction Education and Training Authority and Hanlie Turner from Technical Information Services of PPC Cement.
Interested individuals or organisations can view the criteria and submission requirements for each category on www.womeninconstruction.co.za. Anyone can nominate a candidate organization and self-nomination is allowed too. Nominations close by close of business, Thursday, 9 April 2015.