ACCIONA has established a groundbreaking 50:50 gender split in the blue-collar workforce at Australia Precast Solutions (APS) through an innovative traineeship program connected to the Alkimos Desalination Plant project in Western Australia.

Launched in April 2025, the program recruited and trained 23 women for precast concrete operations at our West Swan facility, where they manufacture curved concrete segments for the plant's intake and outlet tunnels.

Participants received hands-on training through a dedicated on-site trainer, on-site classroom with a focus on teamwork and safety, while contributing to the production of critical infrastructure.

ASWA have partnered with APS to employ many of these 23 women in traineeships, who will continue career pathways on the project when their traineeship with APS concludes this year.

The initiative has exceeded expectations, with trainees now producing up to 330 concrete segments daily. The team has manufactured over 31,000 segments, forming 6.63 kilometres of tunnel infrastructure essential to the desalination plant's operations.

Connor McAllister, National Operations Manager, praised the program's achievements.

"This sets a new benchmark for gender equality in the construction industry," Mr McAllister said.

"The dedication and skill demonstrated by our trainees proves that diversity strengthens our workforce and improves project outcomes."

Twenty-three trainees have already secured ongoing positions with ACCIONA, demonstrating the program's effectiveness in creating sustainable career pathways.

The 24-hour production schedule, operating five days per week, provides continuous employment opportunities while meeting project deadlines.

The Alkimos training program builds on ACCIONA's successful precast operations in Western Australia, which began in 2022. It represents a significant step toward closing the construction industry's gender gap while addressing local skill shortages.

This initiative reflects ACCIONA's broader commitment to sustainable infrastructure development that benefits communities through inclusive employment practices and innovative training solutions.