My name is Sharon Lai. I am 38 years old. I am a project manager for environment, safety and health for a construction company. This role helped me break the glass ceiling. I was finally taken seriously and was able to speak eye-to-eye with my male colleagues and my superiors.

As a child, the construction site was often my playground - I used to follow my father, a contractor, on his projects. So it was natural for me to consider a career in the construction industry.

I decided to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Construction Management. I started working as an Assistant Safety and Health Officer in a small construction firm. The role required me to be on-site, but none of my coworkers actually felt it was safe for me as a woman to be at the construction site, let alone partake actively in any of the activities. On days that I could follow the team to the site, I was often [treated like] a shadow and was asked to handle menial tasks such as placing safety tapes on the site.

Then, I was assigned other roles such as administrative work and supervisory work. I finally landed the quantity surveyor role. However, I was still determined to learn more about work on-site. So I started making friends with the safety team at the neighbouring construction site, and would often go over in the hope they would teach me the ropes of health and safety at the construction site.

One day, when I was alone in the office, I got a call from the site about an accident. One of our workers had fallen from a height and broken his leg. I immediately called the neighbouring construction site for help, and the entire safety team immediately rushed over. I was glad that our worker was tended to safely and properly. On that day I found my calling in the construction industry - to ensure the safety and health of all workers on the construction site.

I started taking courses on my own about occupational safety and health (OSH) and shortly after, I decided to pursue a Masters in OSH. Despite having qualifications just as good as my male counterparts, I was often overlooked for the roles that I applied for.

I felt very tired, jaded, and weary after a few years. It wasn't just the [amount of] effort that I had to make to prove myself [to people in the industry] but also that I felt much is still to be done in the areas of occupational health and safety, and that not every human life was given the same value. During this time, I decided it was time to take a career break and went backpacking in New Zealand. I was also unconsciously observing how the construction industry operated in a country like New Zealand, making mental notes without realizing it.

Slowly, I came to the realization that my true calling is indeed in OSH. So after six months, I returned home with renewed intent. I got rehired by my old employer as a senior executive and was then promoted to be a project manager for environment, safety and health.

The job was very demanding. I would leave home when it was still dark in the morning and then get home when it was dark again - six days a week. On certain days, I had to sleep in my car from pure exhaustion. This went on for more than two years. From then on, I was able to take on more senior roles and even was heading the Quality, Environmental, Safety and Health (QESH) department for some quite prestigious projects in Kuala Lumpur.

I also ventured out to Cambodia for stints abroad. I noticed that there were many women who worked on the construction sites along with their male colleagues. This was very different from the case in Malaysia. I asked myself, how can we achieve the same here in Malaysia?

So over the last five years or so, I have been more involved in dialogues with relevant authorities, industry players and other members since becoming a member of the safety committee with the Master Builder Association Malaysia (MBAM). I continue to advocate for safety. I am able to bring my experience as a female [working] in the industry and to ensure that when decisions and policies are made, they take women into account. I have seen over time how the construction industry is shifting to accommodate women in the workforce. With a larger organization like MBAM, I feel like I am not alone and have the support of a wider group on this mission as a “changemaker”.

My advice for women who are interested in the industry is to not be afraid and to venture into the industry! You’re not desk-bound and the construction site can be your “playground”!

Fast facts: Despite being one of the five economic sectors expected to serve as drivers of economic growth and job creation in Malaysia, the construction industry still faces skills shortages that hinders its contribution to employment. For instance, there is unfilled demand for qualified and skilled workers. This sector - where female workers account for less than 10 per cent - also faces challenges with attracting diverse talent. Barriers for women to enter and advance in the industry include parental expectations and employers’ perception on the safety and physical capabilities of women when it comes to considering them for jobs on the construction site. Since June 2022, the ILO-UK Skills for Prosperity Programme in Malaysia (SfP-Malaysia) in collaboration with the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) have been conducting a pilot site safety supervisor and lifting supervisor apprenticeship programme for 24 trainees - including women - with the objective to replicate the initiative more broadly in the construction sector and thus support the long-term career development of women. This is a unique industry-led training proramme which consists of the structure 15-day classroom training and 3 month work-based learning in construction sites. The SfP-Malaysia-MBAM partnership aims to contribute to sustainable and inclusive skills development in the construction sector through the adaptation of sectoral approaches and the promotion of industry-led technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and skills training. SfP-Malaysia is achieving this by enhancing the capacity of a sectoral skills body to deliver industry-led TVET/skills training modalities and develop mid-term sector skills strategies in the construction sector. It also aims to improve skills utilization, employability, and career development paths for women and youth among vulnerable groups in the construction sector.