By Parker McKenzie
A diverse group of women had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience at a Tools Skills Day, hosted by the Box Hill Institute and Empowering Women in Trades on Tuesday 27 September.
Held at the Box Hill TAFE Trade Centre in Lilydale and sponsored by Workforce Australia, the 22 women in attendance had the opportunity to try their hand at plumbing, electrical work, virtual welding and more.
Founder and CEO of Empowering Women in Trades Hacia Atherton said alongside practical skills, participants also had the opportunity to learn positive psychology and human skills.
“Understanding how to overcome their own self-doubt, tap into their courage and really lean into discomfort: I call it failing forward, failing fast and making mistakes, not beating themselves up about that,” she said.
“All of that mindset stuff to really get them into a space where they can thrive in these industries.”
Participants learned how to strip wires, wire up a power point, join pipes and watched a farrier work metal into a horseshoe in rotating workshops with industry professionals.
Local Jobs Program Employment Facilitator Ida Lloyd said the program helps raise awareness among their jobseekers about career paths in non-traditional areas.
“It’s good for them to be able to see a pathway into a long, sustainable career,” she said.
The fact that they can do the hands-on stuff and feel, touch and see what they’ve created is key.”
Currently, female representation in trades is 3 per cent of the workforce, with only one in every 100 industry trades apprenticeships held by a woman.
Ms Lloyd said a career in a trade doesn’t need to be a barrier to other areas of life like having children.
“I think it actually can and working in a trade can allow them to do other things as well,” Ms Lloyd said.
“Other roles they can do within a trade include teaching, getting other qualifications and moving to other roles if they want to for a period of time, it can be flexible to people’s lives.”
Ms Atherton said often there are messaging and conscious biases that serve as barriers for women in careers.
“Whether it’s marketing or advertising for tools companies or where your work, often there is no women in the imagery. School counsellors will tell you to go do beauty instead of carpentry and there are also employers who are consciously biased and refuse to employ women,” she said.
“Sometimes on site, they will cop a lot of area harassment or discrimination because they are women. It’s changing slowly, but I think that’s where government, media and everyone plays a role in changing the subconscious messages that we’re putting out there.”
At the end of the day, an expo was held with job providers to inform participants of the next steps in pursuing a career in a trade.
Lailah Baker, who participated in the Tools Skills Day, said she attended because she wanted to see if a career in a trade was for her.
“There are a lot more women interested in trades than I thought I when I signed up,” she said.
“I thought there might be five or six women in it. I get here and I’m running into people in the car park, it is really nice to see that there are a lot of people with similar interests.”
In November, Empowering Women in Trades has organised a civil construction course — sponsored by Local Jobs — for those interested in potentially pursuing a career in the field. More information can be found via their social media page or by contacting Local Jobs at www.dewr.gov.au/local-jobs-program.
You can find out more about Empowering Women in Trades at ewitrades.com
