Since catching the maths and science bug at school, Natasha knew early on that she had a passion for all things STEM.
At first, she had dreams of becoming a naturopath – but it was one of her earliest mentors that put Natasha on the path to an engineering cadetship.
“I had a maths teacher who was really progressive and was a bit of a leader in her own right by trying to get women into STEM careers. She encouraged me to complete an application for an engineering cadetship at Wollongong Council.”
It was a foot in the door of the world of construction and engineering – and Natasha never looked back.
From cadet engineer, to site engineer, to project engineer – and eventually project manager. Natasha quickly climbed the ranks of our industry, breaking down barriers and forging great relationships along the way.
“I’ve had varying experiences, so you know, I've worked on airports, I've worked on roads, I've built bridges, bridges over water, bridges over rail.
“My first 15 years of work, there were no other female engineers on a project or anything like that. In some cases, we’d be asking for female-only toilets.”
Natasha says the industry has changed for the better over the decades.
“I feel like we've come ahead in leaps and bounds, and I particularly think John Holland do a fantastic job of looking after our female talent.”
Natasha has always been responsible when it comes to investing in her family and career – and she takes the same approach to money.
“My dad always said if ‘you don't have the money, you don't buy it.’ I guess that was driven into me throughout my childhood.”
And as for Natasha’s advice to other women pursuing a career in construction?
“It’s important to advocate for women in our industry. We need to be brave in our approach to recruitment and shifting the dial on female participation in construction.
“Throw out the rule book. Give women who may not come from a construction background the tools they need to succeed in our industry. And most importantly, let’s make sure we’re educating young girls in school about what our industry can offer.
“If you’re ambitious, you can make it happen. I’m a testament to that.”
