Women in Trades: A Growing Trend

0:00In Sydney, it's March 8th, and here's what is going on. More Australian women are entering construction trades, with enrollments and courses more than doubling over the past five years, leading up to 2025. While they still make up a small share of the workforce, leaders in the field call this a vital change amid ongoing skills shortages. Take Haley Miles, a 41-year-old from New South Wales Northern Rivers. After running a hairdressing business for over a decade, she started over as a carpenter apprentice at age 32. Now she works in timber and owns her own carpentry company. Jennifer Perkins, an electrician with nearly 40 years in the trade, remembers being one of the few women back in 1987. Today, as a TAFE educator, she sees classrooms sometimes filled with half-women, a huge shift from her early days. Industry experts point to workforce gaps pushing broader recruitment, noting that tapping the full population brings fresh ideas and stronger teams. Some supporting women in trades report a surge in mature age applicants seeking apprenticeships.

1:05Challenges like workplace culture and unconscious bias linger. But success stories highlight the rewards. Women like Haley say the initial pay cut leads to lucrative skills and independence, urging others that it's never too late to pick up the tools. A quick thank you to our sponsor of today's episode. Relax deeper. Reset faster. Comfort you can hear, S-O-L-L-I, solelypillow.com.