Women in trades
The participation of women in male-dominated trades remains low in Australia. Trades where women make up less than 25% of the workforce are known as non-traditional trades. In Australian industries with major skills shortages, such as construction, electrotechnology and automotive, women make up only 2% of qualified trade workers.
The lack of women entering trades is a serious economic issue (). Women are vital to addressing trade skill shortages across the state.
Trade careers offer women employment security in high-demand and high-pay industries.
Resources supporting women into trade careers
Working with the in the Department of Customer Service, Training Services NSW has developed the following resources to support the attraction of women into trades:
Resources for students
- .
Resources for parents
- .
Resources for industry
- : Practical steps for attracting, recruiting, and retaining women in trades.
- – Evidence-based advice to help you communicate with girls and women about non-traditional trades.
Resources for educators and agencies of change
- - Behavioural interventions to help women start and stay in non-traditional trades.
- - Understanding the barriers preventing women engaging in trades and recommended interventions.
- .
- Supporting careers advisers and educators promote non-traditional trades to high school girls.
Program and initiatives supporting women into trades
School students
- (RIEP) connects employers with secondary schools across NSW.
- , Girls Can Too exposes young women to a career in trade through a week-long taster course.
- The ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍøal Pathways Program (EPP) introduces young people to a range of vocational training and employment pathways.
- School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBAT) allows students to commence an apprenticeship or complete a traineeship while at school.
Initiatives for women who have left school
- support – The NSW Government is investing $20.2 million over three years to attract and retain more women into the construction industry.
- – The NSW Government funds Group Training Organisations (GTOs) to recruit and support individuals to participate in pre-apprenticeship and pre-traineeship training to trial different apprenticeship and traineeship pathways in various industry sectors.
- – Fee-free training for women is being offered in construction and related fields.