In recent years, there has been a push to encourage women to take up non-traditional female work roles and trades. In and around Lismore, this could really help with the lack in supply of tradespeople in the region. However, the uptake of these roles does not look like it has been as successful as intended, but there are success stories, as told by Lismore's Elijha Fortesque.

The NSW government reports, “Trades where women make up less than 25 per cent of the workforce are known as non-traditional trades.”

“The NSW Government, through its Women in Trades Strategy 2021-2024, is making substantial efforts to boost the representation of women in non-traditional trades, aiming to create a more inclusive and diverse workforce.”

This is not new to those working in the employment industry. Many local efforts have tried to embrace the cause to address this. Here is the experience of one (anonymous) female employment networker;

“I've worked in the VET sector for 16 years. So, over that time, I've been involved with putting together pre-employment programs and essentially working in the apprenticeship space, representing all types of apprentices. Recently, we have secured funding just to work with females in male dominated trades and to help create awareness around career opportunities for females.

“There was definitely employment out of each program we put together, 100%.”

We looked at how successful these have been. 

“Over the past eight months, I've signed up two female painters in that time. So, two lady tradies. Not amazing numbers, but there are numbers coming through.”

In the same time frame, the NSW Government processed about 10 men a month.

A number of suggestions were made as to why that might be the case. Early mornings, childcare, and school drop-offs are a few mentioned. However, other traditionally female-based roles include shift work, for example, nursing. These factors are not an issue or can be overcome.

The NSW Government have put plans into place to increase women in trades;

• The NSW Government has a mandatory requirement for all government infrastructure projects over $100 million to meet skills and diversity targets. One of these targets is 2% of the trades workforce to be women in trades.
• Organisations that participated in the Connecting Women to Trades program are encouraging employers to create more inclusive and supportive advertisements when advertising for women in trades or trade-related positions.

And in Lismore;

• Get Handy workshops where the aim of the program was to break down barriers for women in the Northern Rivers region of NSW entering trades and to engage women in trades experiencing skills shortages. This resulted in:
• 2 x full-time apprenticeships
• 9 x completed pre-apprenticeship course
• 16 x registered interested with TAFE in a trade course
• 7 x working in a non-traditional role (traffic control, handyman, civil)

The NSW Govt tells us that these are the figures for the number of men and women starting trades in NSW:

In the 12 months preceding Sept 30, 2022;

Males: 24,230 or 86%

Females: 3,900 or 14%

A year later on Sept 30, 2023;

Males: 20,315 or 87%

Females: 2,930 or 13%

The total number of women in trades over the years is only growing slowly. It looks like this:

A spokesperson for the NSW Govt reports, “Big businesses are subject to audits and evaluations to ensure compliance with gender equality standards. Organisations like the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) require large employers to report on various gender equality indicators, including the composition of their workforce and the actions taken to support women in the workplace.”

Essential Energy is one organisation that has succeeded in engaging female contractors. We spoke to Lismore’s Elijha Fortesque, who completed her electrical apprenticeship with Essential Energy.

“I'm 25 years of age, and I'm a fully qualified electrician with Essential Energy. I'm also undertaking a second trade within that company for a lineworker apprenticeship.  

“My day-to-day is going out in the crews climbing up poles testing and commissioning the network; I'm inspecting and switching the network, dealing with power outages, fault and emergency work after hours. It’s very exciting with what you can and can't do in the world of what is the electrical industry.”

Elijha works from the Lismore depot, but that doesn’t restrict her work to the city. 

“I work in the Lismore area, which ranges all the way out to Nimbin, the back of The Channon, halfway to Bangalow and halfway to Alstonville. You're never in the same place, two days in a row. There’s something new and different every day, which has been great.”

At the end of Year 12, Elijha was at the crossroads of deciding her next step. 

“Do I have a gap year? Do I go to university? What do I do? It was getting to a bit of a crunch time.”  

“My brother, who had completed an apprenticeship with Essential Energy at that time, had given me the vibe - this job looks pretty cool. There was always that little bit of competitiveness at home. Well, if he can do it on, why can't I do it better?”

After applying in secret, Elijha waited for a response. 

“I somehow kept going through the application process and it was becoming more real. Then I had to tell my parents that I was due for an interview at the Port Macquarie office, and lo and behold, the next thing I was heading for Lismore, packing my bags and heading out into the world.”

Taking a role like this, equal rights are a large part of the equal opportunity equation.

“The wages at Essential Energy at the moment for the trade industry, there isn't a pay gap - they have managed to equalise it. They have a high respect for the women as they're trying to diversify the workforce.  

“They're very financially supportive as well for women on maternity leave, like six months, and depending on the circumstances the male also gets six months paid paternity leave as well.

“Females at work with periods and cramps or you are just having a ‘I don't want to be around men day” does happen. At Essential they have paid personal or sick leave which comes at an unlimited rate. So there's never an issue calling in and just saying ‘look, not feeling fit for work today.’

“They have started introducing other timely benefits like with breastfeeding - you get dedicated hours in a day to go and have that time alone and express or have a little bit of a break, and if anything else needs to be attended to they do get that time.”

“There’s about 30 guys at the depot. They're all great men. I hold them in great respect that they're almost second fathers.  You don't want to work somewhere where you feel like you don't belong. They're going to become your family. Really, that's what I've experienced with all the guys that I work with in the Lismore depot. 

“This has been a great, great, great decision, I think, looking back on it.”

Elijha knows that the benefits she is receiving now have not been an overnight offering.

“You've got to praise the trailblazers who have come before us and the amount that they've been putting in the footwork for what we get now.”

“I definitely wouldn't second guess the choice I've made. I think it's been a great career opportunity. And it's definitely like I did one better than my brother!”

Essential Energy's apprenticeship window for this year has closed - they had 2,200 applicants for 103 jobs. 500 of the applications are from women. If you are interested, keep an eye out, Essential Energy traineeship opportunities will be opening up shortly.

Women interested in pursuing a career in trades should start by exploring programs and resources specifically designed to support their needs. The NSW govt provides information on apprenticeships and Women in Trades Initiatives at Trade pathways for women | NSW Government.

You can also look into independent support organisations like:

• Salt - Supporting and Linking Tradeswomen
• Nawic - National Association of Women in Construction

If you are a business that is looking for more workers and opportunities to diversify your workforce, there are cultural support initiatives and information available at the Construction Industry Cultural Taskforce.