Two Women Changing The Trend In Trades

More women are getting into trades and apprenticeships than ever before - there are twice as many as there were 10 years ago; yet statistics show that only 2% of women are in the trades industry. More women and girls are considering jobs in trades such as building, construction and automotives. Standing out in an industry where you’re not in the majority can be challenging, but the reward of paving the way for people just like you to find a fulfilling career is more than worth it for those pioneers. Here’s a couple of women out there who have set their sights on showing Australia that you can crush it out there as a woman working trades:

Madeleine Moore has been running her own mechanic business for a couple of years now, but if you’d asked her in high school if she’d be working on cars, she probs wouldn’t have believed ya. In her interview with Focus magazine, she talked about how she was pushed into pursuing the arts while she was growing up, but it just didn’t compare to helping her dad fix things and do projects around the house. She knew she really loved that problem-solving aspect of moving through a clear set of instructions, pulling things apart and putting them back together again, and she followed that passion into a pre-vocational course, then an apprenticeship.

Fast-forward to now, and her business is smashing it. She’s learning loads, starting and running her own business, and getting loads of support from her local community, as well as her mentors and teachers from her apprenticeship. BTW, if you’re thinking about seeing where an apprenticeship could take ya, why not swing VERTO a DM? They have hundreds of apprenticeship and training opportunities, so you’re bound to find something you’ll vibe with.

Fiona McDonald is an example of someone who got so driven by the idea of getting women into trades that she’s actually made it her full-time gig! She started out as a light vehicle apprentice - and at the time there really wasn’t a lot of support or opportunities out there for women just like her. 

That’s why she decided to start working on a networking group for women in trades, and from there she founded and became the CEO of Tradeswomen Australia, which sets their sights on changing the Aussie trades workplace culture and removing barriers to entry for young women starting out just like Fiona did.

Fiona had a great chat with our Year13 co-founder Saxon, talking all about her career and what her org is up to. Take a look below!

If you’re looking to join the other young women in revolutionising how we think about trades, or you’re just interested in what an apprenticeship could offer you, make sure you head over here to have a chat with VERTO.