The Girls with Hi-Vis programme is looking forward to 2026 following the completion of 30 well-attended career events run across New Zealand to open young women’s minds to the wealth of career options in civil construction.

More than 500 students from 91 schools attended events this year to learn on-the-job trade skills and gain a practical understanding of what work-based training and apprenticeships can offer them as a career pathway.

“I really enjoyed the roadworks,” says Hillmorton School student Te Ihirangi Toko, who attended a Girls with Hi-Vis event hosted by Higgins in Canterbury.

“There’s a lot of different opportunities … I really think it’s really cool to put a lot of our girl rangatahi into this.”

Ten years of momentum

Connexis Executive Director Kaarin Gaukrodger says this year’s success was the continuation of a nationwide programme, launched in 2015, which has developed into a driving force for workforce diversity in the civil construction industry.

Over the past decade events have been held at wind farms, hydroelectric power stations, water-treatment plants and major roading projects, giving female students the chance to do everything from driving diggers and trucks to climbing power poles and jointing electrical cables.

“One of the most common comments we get from those who attend Girls with Hi-Vis, and those who go on into Gateway programmes from school, is that they appreciate the opportunity to learn by doing.

“A classroom environment doesn’t suit everyone, so being given the opportunity to learn on the job often really fires up the students’ enthusiasm for trades and work-based apprenticeship training.”

Civil construction offers a smorgasbord of career prospects for women, often without of the need to take on student debt, Kaarin says.

“These trades present an opportunity for those leaving school to earn while they become qualified for a career in an industry where skilled workers are desperately needed. That means job security without the need for large student loans.

“While you may start as an apprentice, that gives you a foundation on which you can build a life-long career – taking on greater responsibilities, continuously adding to your skills and knowledge and moving into leadership or more specialised technical roles.”

A springboard into infrastructure for women

Judging by the feedback from past attendees at Girls with Hi-Vis events, the programme is making a tangible difference.

When Natalee Hughes attended an event at Horizon Networks in Whakatāne in 2022, she was just another Trident High School student exploring her options. Now she’s nearing the end of her apprenticeship as a line mechanic – and returning to inspire the next generation.

“I really enjoyed the day when I visited through Girls with Hi-Vis. As a student I really enjoyed being a bucket operator and controlling a crane, but the best thing was pole-top rescue and I really enjoyed the hands-on nature of the work.”

Natalee says Girls with Hi-Vis events are must-attend occasions for people wanting to find what a career in civil construction could be like.

“GWHV is important because it gives girls a chance to try things you wouldn’t usually expect girls to do. If you’re thinking about a trade, just go for it. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.”

As Natalee proves, one day at a Girls with Hi-Vis event can change your entire career trajectory. Now working alongside the professionals who once inspired her, she is living proof that these opportunities are real, achievable and waiting for you.

Join the movement

Getting involved in the 2026 Girls with Hi-Vis programme is easy. Schools can register their students for upcoming events, and individual students can express interest through their careers advisors or contact Connexis directly.

Girls with Hi-Vis is one of many initiatives launched by Connexis to highlight to school leavers and career seekers the wealth of opportunities in the civil construction industry. It recently announced a 2025 infrastructure training booster, targeting employers by offering reduced enrolment fees up to 31 October 2025.