Construction industry representatives with Year 10 students
Students at Catherine McAuley explore career opportunities within the construction industry
Year 10 and interested Year 11 students recently had the opportunity to learn more about a range of careers in the construction industry through an engaging session delivered by a team of professionals from KANE Constructions, the construction company currently undertaking work on the Westmead Catholic Community site. The team demonstrated that women have a strong and growing presence in the industry challenging traditional gender stereotypes.
At the start of the session, students were asked to stand if they knew a family member or friend working in construction. They were then asked to remain standing if that person was female. Unsurprisingly, only a handful of students remained standing. This simple but powerful activity highlighted the low representation of women in the construction industry, which has traditionally been seen as a male-dominated field. Currently, women make up only 12% of the construction workforce which is much lower than in many other industries.
This lack of visibility can make it difficult for young women to see themselves pursuing a career in construction. With that in mind, students were encouraged to view the session with an open mind and “not be limited by what they can see”.
The representatives from KANE Constructions shared their personal journeys, highlighting the diverse and rewarding roles available - from site work to office-based jobs and even jobs with flexible work-from-home arrangements, from trades to engineers to site managers and more. They challenged outdated perceptions and showcased the success and satisfaction that women are finding in the industry today.
By the end of the session, students left not only better informed but also genuinely inspired about the possibilities a career in construction could offer them in the future.
'Thank you to the staff from KANE Constructions for taking time out of their busy schedules to present this session to our students.'
Ms Joanne Xuereb | Leader of Learning Pathways and Partnerships
Catherine McAuley Westmead
More News
13 Aug 2025
From Facebook
2ND PLACE WINNERS! 🏆 Congratulations to the tennis students who represented Catherine McAuley at the PDSSSC Tennis Teams Championships held on Monday. The McAuley Team placed 2nd in the event which was held at the Parramatta Tennis Centre. 👏👏👏
13 Aug 2025
From Facebook
AROUND THE CLASSROOMS 🇫🇷 Bon Appétit! Today, our Year 8 French students indulged in a taste of French gastronomy as they stepped into the world of a traditional crêperie! 🥞✨ Under the guidance of M. Luca, students learned the art of making delicious crêpes, all while listening to and responding in French. This hands-on experience gave them the chance to use authentic language in a fun, practical and mouth-watering setting.
13 Aug 2025
Year 10 Careers Session
Students at Catherine McAuley explore career opportunities within the construction industry
13 Aug 2025
Catherine McAuley Students Attend Homelessness Memorial Service
Catherine McAuley students attended the St Patrick’s Cathedral Parramatta Homelessness Memorial Service.
12 Aug 2025
From Facebook
A number of Catherine McAuley students represented the school at the Parramatta Homelessness Memorial Service held at St Patrick’s Cathedral Parramatta on Friday night. 💕 The students served soup, participated in a liturgy and lit candles, with each flame representing a life that mattered and a story that deserved to be remembered. The students said that standing with members of the community “we were reminded of the Mercy values of justice, hospitality and courage, which call us to recognise the dignity of every person.”
11 Aug 2025
From Facebook
SUPPORTING ST VINCENT DE PAUL 🥰 Catherine McAuley Music students will be busking near Parramatta Town Hall between 11.30am - 1.30pm this Thursday, 14th August. 🎶 Come along and support a good cause! Our Music students hope to see you!!
11 Aug 2025
From Facebook
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS 👏🕺 Well done to students Charlize D., Johanna D., and Ashleigh D., who as part of 2Step Dance were awarded first place in the Wee Lees Trust Jazz Group Category at the City of Sydney Eisteddfod. They will perform at the Sydney Opera House this September in recognition of their achievements.
11 Aug 2025
From Facebook
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 👏🎓 Well done to Year 11 student Kashish A. who has been selected for the University of Sydney’s Computer Science Fellowship Program; an opportunity offered to Year 11 students. Through this program, Kashish will study INFO1110: Introduction to Programming, a first-year university subject that forms the foundation for further study in computer science. The program provides a chance to gain 6 university credit points toward the Bachelor of Advanced Computing while being mentored by industry professionals and supported by leading academics from the School of Computer Science.
11 Aug 2025
From Facebook
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 👏🤽♀ Well done to Year 9 student Maisy C. has been selected this year for the NSW Waterpolo Academy. This is the U15’s pathway for State Teams.
10 Aug 2025
From Facebook
AROUND THE CLASSROOMS ➡️ Year 8 Japanese students had the unique opportunity on Thursday to practise their language skills whilst playing games with the visiting students from Iida Girls School, Japan. The Iida students were showing the McAuley students a fun game, often played in Japan, which when played in Australia is often called ‘Red Light, Green Light’.
08 Aug 2025
From Facebook
Tohby Riddle, an award winning Australian artist and author/illustrator, was at Catherine McAuley on Monday to run a workshop for Years 9 and 11 Visual Arts students. ✏ The workshop took place as part of the Westwords Schools’ Program allowing students to work with an artist to help develop their skills. Tohby shared insights with the students into his creative process, encouraging them to be curious and observe the world around them. He reminded the students that creativity begins with observation, telling them that, “Good art starts from being curious, from noticing things. Using our minds to draw what we see.” The students observed Tohby demonstrate his unique art style using stamping, stencilling and ink pads. He told the students that you don’t need to be good at drawing to be good at art, you just need to have the right mindset.
08 Aug 2025
From Facebook
ALL INVITED ‼️ Come and see the amazing works from our HSC students at the HSC CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts) Showcase! 20th August 2025! 🎭 Art displays will be open from 4pm, Drama performances starting at 5.15pm and Music performances starting at 5.45pm. Light refreshments available. See you then!
08 Aug 2025
From Facebook
AROUND THE CLASSROOMS ➡️ Year 8 Science students with Mrs S. Bain using microscopes to look at the structure of a plant cell using an onion cell as an example. 🔬