Women in trades: the issues, the challenges, the solutions
Australia is experiencing an ongoing skills shortage in construction, infrastructure and other trades industries. This shortage is impacting our productivity and national wellbeing. Yet despite equal talent, ambition, and capacity – women represent a mere 3-4% of Australia’s skilled trades roles due to deeply entrenched systemic barriers: outdated gender stereotypes, conscious and unconscious bias, workplace discrimination, inflexible work systems, limited vocational training opportunities, limited career pathways, inadequate facilities, exclusionary and, at times, unsafe workplace cultures. An enormous national pool of talent and economic contribution is being wasted.
More women are entering the sector – an 80% increase in female apprentices since 2019 – thanks to investment in awareness and recruitment campaigns. However, they leave at alarming rates as the system fails to support them – female apprentices are twice as likely as men to cite poor workplace conditions as the reason they drop out. The largest national gender pay gap is in the trades — with construction as high as 31.8% — which no doubt also contributes to the problem.
Read our research reports below to learn about our investigation into the barriers for women entering, and working in, gender imbalanced trade industries. We have also submitted Government White Papers in order to highlight the challenges women face starting their careers in trades.
Our Research
Download TWA Influencer Insights Report (pdf)
Download TWA Consolidation Report(pdf)
Download TWA Cross Industry Barriers Interventions (pdf)
White Papers submitted
Download TWA Employment White Paper
Other Relevant Research
We are not the only ones doing significant research on women in trades. Listed below is relevant research from other Australian organisations.
Download One of the Boys report (pdf)
Download A trade of ones own Regional NSW stakeholder findings 2019 (pdf)
