At Obayashi Singapore, a local Obayashi company in Singapore, female employees account for 25% of all employees, and they are building their own career paths in construction sites where unconscious bias still remains like in Japan.

Here, four female engineers flourishing at construction sites in Singapore are introduced.

Hazel Leong, Assistant Manager

I grew up in the construction rush of overwhelming skyscrapers in Singapore and started to dream about working in the construction industry. I graduated from university with a civil engineering degree.
After starting my career in the project management of a public housing project in Singapore and a building structure renovation project, I changed jobs and went to work for a prime contractor company.
Later, I joined Obayashi Singapore. My day starts with patrolling the construction site to check safety. Then, on a daily basis, I complete the tasks of attending coordination meetings with numerous construction stakeholders, updating drawings for the coordination meetings, updating process plans, responding to complaints, and procurement with the speed and accuracy required at construction sites. Through childrearing, I acquired multi-tasking skills, which have led to the skill of prioritizing and accurately carrying out multiple tasks required at a construction site. I am confident that my sense of responsibility for any given work and self-motivation to fulfill my responsibilities will motivate me to tackle difficult tasks at construction sites.

Phan Pui See, Construction Engineer

I started to develop an interest in civil engineering in junior high school. After graduating from university, I started a career in the industry by accumulating on-site work experience at construction sites in a construction company.
When I first joined the company, I sometimes felt uncomfortable in a workplace that had few women, but I tried to not limit myself and overcome this discomfort by facing the situation honestly. For this reason, what I always try to do is solve challenges in a team. I realize that sharing knowledge and technology in an organization makes it possible for me to learn many things even though the workplace has few women. I have come this far with the support of many people, so I would like to leverage what I learned for future projects.

Khoo Hui En, Construction Engineer

I studied engineering design theory at university. My work experience at a construction site as an intern for a short period of time led to my interest in working at construction sites. Currently, I work at construction sites where I work with a variety of stakeholders such as developers, government officials, and designers as the primary contractor. I didn’t have a very good impression of the construction industry when I was a student, but through my short-term internship, I learned that my horizons will broaden by being curious about learning anything and the mindset of flexibly accepting various things. Promoting opportunities for women in the construction industry may have adverse aspects in the short term, but I believe the presence of female engineers will be indispensable as female engineers will gain experience, realize achievements, and master the skills over the long term.

Jennifer Hernandez Fulgar, Equipment Engineer

I started to work for Obayashi Singapore with the belief that I can fully utilize my skills as an equipment engineer and grow at the company. Since I find each project has different approaches and challenging aspects, I always feel I’m growing. I try to ask questions honestly without hesitation if I find something unclear so I can conduct the work accurately and in a timely manner. Being tough and building relationships of trust with team members are indispensable for the active participation of women in the construction industry. I think that good teamwork, being proactive, and being a hard worker are essential for the success of projects.

Singapore has people from many different ethnic groups, languages, and religions and has inherited the cultures of different countries including China, Malaysia, and India. Obayashi Singapore will continue to work on the creation of a diverse and comprehensive workplace for the employees.