Funding Futures: The Start of Pathways into Paving

We’re proud to share that Amarapave has been awarded a grant from NAWIC to launch a new initiative: Pathways into Paving.

This isn’t just funding.

It’s recognition.

It’s belief.

It’s a chance to act on something we’ve felt deeply for years. People are being excluded from this industry for reasons that have nothing to do with talent. And now, we get to do something about it.

Because here’s the truth. If you’re a woman or non-binary person trying to break into the trade, especially without experience, the odds are against you.

You’re not what most crews are used to seeing.

You’re not who most employers are looking for.

And when experience is everything, it’s nearly impossible to get your first opportunity. Especially when the industry is still stuck on the idea of who “fits.”

That’s what this program is designed to change.

Pathways into Paving was created to cut through the doubt, the risk aversion, and the reluctance that stops new people, non-male people, from getting a foot in the door. It’s about opening space on site for those who’ve been shut out. Not because they lack ability, but because they’ve never been given a chance to gain it.

With NAWIC’s support, we’re creating real pathways into the asphalt paving trade. It’s built around paid work, hands-on learning, and one-on-one mentorship. It’s not a training course in a classroom. It’s not a taster session. It’s the real thing. Site-based, practical, and fully supported.

And we’re not doing it alone.

Downer has stepped up as a delivery partner. One that not only understands the need for change but is actively contributing to it. This isn’t just about offering placements. It’s about collaboration. Shared purpose. Working side by side to create an environment where people from underrepresented backgrounds can walk onto a job site and be seen, supported, and set up to succeed.

This industry is facing a skills shortage. And still, we’re recycling the same workers from company to company, wondering why nothing changes.

We don’t just need more people.

We need new people.

And to get them, we need to stop hiring solely on experience and start hiring on attitude.

This program is proof of what’s possible when we do.

Thanks to this grant, we can challenge the assumptions that keep people out. We can offer a starting point that isn’t rooted in privilege or luck. We can invest in people who might otherwise never get the chance. And in doing so, we help build an industry that looks, feels, and functions differently.

This funding gives us the resources to act. But it’s the alignment between Amarapave, NAWIC and Downer that gives this program its strength.

It’s not just about opening doors.

It’s about walking through them together. And making sure they stay open for the ones coming next.

We’re grateful. We’re ready.

And we’re just getting started.

Amarapave x Downer recent collaboration on the Princess Freeway

Ash MacMahon - Co-Founder & Field Director