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Sarah Hall is the only woman working as a leading hand on the NX2 Puhoi to Warkworth motorway project.
She manages a team of 30 workers operating heavy earthmoving machinery, including excavators, bulldozers, and dump trucks.
Eight years ago, Sarah was studying to be a forensic scientist but, after seeing her student loan debt mount, she decided to get a job as a labourer.
“I soon moved up to documentation and decided to get some construction-related qualifications. After a while, I was running a team of 5 to 10 on housing and motorway projects while completing training, and I just never looked back.”
During the summer earthmoving season, Sarah has been working 60 hours a week on the Puhoi motorway.
“A typical day starts with a briefing on health and safety and what we need to achieve. Then I will move about the site keeping a watch on what the team is doing and making sure everything is running efficiently and safely.
“If anything needs to change, I’ll step in and make it happen.”
Sarah says she would love to see more women doing the job, but says they need to be ready to work hard to get the job and then keep it.
“Like all jobs it’s important to gain the respect of the people you lead and I do that by showing that I know what I’m talking about, and if I don’t know I will say so and find the answer.”
