The Building Women’s Careers Program will deliver ten, large-scale projects and several smaller projects to support women to access training in key areas: including electrical and plumbing trades.
In this year’s Federal Budget, the Government has committed to providing $55.6 million over 4 years to work with the ETU and the electrical industry on cultural change for women in the industry. This includes working to improve flexibility of training hours, work, and the cultural acceptance of women within the electrical workforce.
Women make up just 2% of the electrical workforce, a percentage that has remained stubbornly low.
In recent times, the number of women enrolled as electrical apprentices and trainees has risen to 5.25%. This has occurred through targeted programs, developed by the ETU, working together with employers, directly informed by the experiences, advice and direction of ETU women.
Since the 2018 Women’s Conference, the Union has regularly taken delegations of ETU women to Canberra to tell the Government how crucial it is that there is support for women working in male-dominated industries and, after what’s been committed in this year’s Budget, it appears the Government is listening.
When women are supported and mentored through their apprenticeship, over 90% go on to long term employment in the electrical industry.