In this show Ash & JW are joined by Radmila Desic AM, Past NAWIC National Director and National Vice President, currently NAWIC QLD – Women on Tools and NAWIC Life Member and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day 2021 Honours List for her significant service to women in the construction industry, and to unemployed youth.

We have an outstanding catch up with Radmila (Rad) and start out hearing about Rad’s story about her journey as a Tradie in carpentry and joinery and the experiences she had as a woman in this Tradie environment. Rad shares the feeling of empowerment and positivity of seeing the results of the hard work as a Tradie on those job sites. As Rad matured during the trade apprenticeship and sharing her story with other women found many wished they had made similar decisions and didn’t realise it was an option and found so many thought it wasn’t a career for women and the start of her passion and motivation for driving positive change and encouraging more women to enter into building and construction careers.

Rad also shares how she and her husband come from non English speaking backgrounds and tradies who worked hard in the beginning before starting their family and Rad by choice leaving the trade to raise their family but stills holds the passion for the tools, trade and helping out family and friends still today. We talk about the amazing passion and commitment to voluntary work with NAWIC to make a real difference, opening more doors for women, encouraging women to take up the opportunities in Tradie roles, breaking down the stereotypes and advocating across government and industry in the mission of increasing participation.

Rad takes us through all the initiatives, support and activities that she and NAWIC are doing to promote, encourage and engage women into building and construction roles. We also talk about the mentoring and support that they are providing women and the diversity and culture initiatives to help change the fixed mindsets. They are also working with men in the trade with programs to help drive the change, diversity and create new thinking about the recruitment and support in being inclusive leaders in this important change program.

We cover to much to mention here, but promise you will love the insights Rad shares and you will find her passion, enthusiasm and energy is infectious. You will also quickly come to understand why she has been recognised with the Order of Australia medal earlier this year. If you are looking for a role-model in building and construction, you’ve just found it.

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Got a question for Radmila? email it to us at: [email protected]