Media Release: 20th August 2024
The Capital Group on behalf of National Skills Week
Greater opportunities for women in trades: National Skills Week 2024
The representation of women in trades continues grow as employers offer greater opportunities
The combination of higher job vacancies and a greater focus on gender diversity by employers is presenting more opportunities for women in trades than ever before.
National Skills Week is highlighting opportunities for women to pursue careers through vocational education and apprenticeships across a wide range of trades, industry sectors and locations.
More opportunities for women will be created with the federal government’s commitment to spend an additional $30 billion on Vocational Education and Training (VET) over the next five years.
The federal government’s latest Jobs and Skills Australia “Skills Shortage Quarterly” report shows fill rates, the number of positions filled relative to advertised job vacancies, in trades remain persistently low. Fill rates for Technician and Trade Workers are consistently below 50% and are the lowest of all major group occupations.
The low fill rates indicate shortage pressures for occupations within this broad group are relatively more acute. Industry estimates indicate there is presently a shortfall of 90,000 tradespeople nationally, while only 3 percent of tradespeople in construction are women.
Addressing the female participant imbalance is key to improving participation in trades. Says Brian Wexham, Chair of National Skills Week, “Gender gaps in trades need to be closed with a coordinated approach that begins with an emphasis on vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities.
“National Skills Week continues to be a catalyst for those seeking careers as tradespeople. It’s no longer a matter of recruiting people of the right gender, it’s about recruiting people with the right skills and there are numerous success stories demonstrating women have those skills.”
“The Building and Construction industry is also attracting female participation. Brick and block laying vacancies are high, and there are excellent career pathway opportunities in bricklaying” says Michael Morrissey CEO of Brick & Block Careers.
“We aim to fulfil the career aspirations of young Australians and job seekers, by providing employment opportunities in brick and block laying “.
There are many success stories like those below
Elizabeth Briggs
Brick & Block Careers Bricklaying Apprentice
Video on her here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Elizabeth says: “When I started the course, I realised it was such a supportive environment, and I would just say to any women out there, to just give it a crack.”
Hannah Bramble
Brick & Block Careers Bricklaying Apprentice
Video on her here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Hannah says: “What I love most about Bricklaying, is I feel so strong and powerful, I love seeing what I have accomplished at the end of the day”
Perth-based Amy Hunt (featured below) is a cable jointer with Cert III in Distribution Cable Jointing, prior to beginning her TAFE course she did not know what a cable jointer was. She’s now progressed into a supervisory role and credits the move into a new trade as “Giving me a voice and leverage to raise issues and be identified as a leader in the workplace. It gave me what felt like purpose, a career I know love, and opened my eyes to the importance of trades”.
Sophie Orrock (featured below) is an apprentice auto electrician from South Australia, based in Mount Gambier she is one of only five auto electricians in the area, two of whom are women. The skills shortage attracted her to her trade, with vocational training giving her the opportunity for career advancement.
“VET opened my eyes to a broader field for job opportunities without having to go university”, she says. According to her, it also offered flexibility and greater choice, “Being able to study at school, make a bit of money on the side and try fields without having to commit to the job.”
Komatsu Australia: Komatsu Construction & Mining Equipment
National Skills Week partner, Komatsu Australia provides equipment technologies and services to the construction, mining, energy, government, waste and quarry industries. It provides employment opportunities across a wide range of trades from electricians to boilermakers, fitters and service technicians. Komatsu has set a target of 42% female diversity for its 2024 apprenticeship intake.
Komatsu provides a comprehensive Youth Program to strengthen its connections with local communities, develop young talent, and showcase the diverse range of opportunities available to school students, school leavers and university students.
“Komatsu is committed to investing in young talent and developing a skilled workforce that can drive future innovations. Our Youth Program has been designed to develop the next generation of leaders and give them the skills they need to join the heavy equipment and mining industries,” said Zara Carey, General Manager People Experience.
“Once a young person is ready to start their career with Komatsu, we offer multiple pathways to employment including our award-winning and highly sought after apprentice program, with structured learning pathways, hands-on experience, and support from experienced mentors,” Zara said.
For more information on the Komatsu Apprentice program, visit www.komatsu.com.au.
Interview options / talent:
National Skills Week highlights the inspirational success stories of VET Alumni and Australian Apprentices or Trainees of the Year who hail from all parts of the country. There is a range of Vet Alumni available to showcase their success stories and inspiration.
These VET Alumni are available for media interviews and National Skills Week can facilitate connections for targeted stories on specific topics as needed.
Government leaders, CEOs of industry bodies and organisations across industries facing the biggest skills shortages (healthcare, manufacturing, construction, mining, cyber security etc) are also available for interviews.
National Skills Week Chairman Brian Wexham is also available for interviews upon request.
For further expertise and insights into VET programs and success stories across sectors, please refer here to the 2024 Advisory Committee Members, who possess a wealth of information and knowledge.
For further information, visit www.nationalskillsweek.com.au