❓ The Minister for Training outlines initiatives to attract more women into male-dominated trades and technical occupations, including scholarships and programs aimed at addressing the gender pay gap and skills shortages in WA's building and construction workforce.
AnsweredQoN 148Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MALE-DOMINATED
OCCUPATIONS — FEMALE PARTICIPATION
148. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Training:
I refer to the McGowan government's commitment to
create safer and more inclusive workplaces for women. Can the minister advise
the house what actions this government is taking to attract more women into
occupations that are traditionally male dominated, such as technical and trade
occupations, and how these initiatives will provide a boost to WA's
building and construction workforce?
OCCUPATIONS — FEMALE PARTICIPATION
148. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Training:
I refer to the McGowan government's commitment to
create safer and more inclusive workplaces for women. Can the minister advise
the house what actions this government is taking to attract more women into
occupations that are traditionally male dominated, such as technical and trade
occupations, and how these initiatives will provide a boost to WA's
building and construction workforce?
AnswerView source ↗
I am very pleased to answer this
question and I appreciate the member for Belmont's interest in this
matter, because this is a government focused on jobs for Western Australians.
We are focused on developing the skills for the jobs for Western Australians to
make sure that people in this state have the skills to fill the jobs that we
know are out there. We are particularly
interested in those members of the community whose ability to participate in
the workforce or think about a job change is under-utilised. That is
certainly the case for women. We have an ability for women in this state to
participate more in the Western Australian workforce if we give them the
opportunity.
As
the Minister for Training, I know that there is a real chance to target women
moving into secure jobs, into well- paid jobs and into jobs that
traditionally they have not been large participants in—the
non-traditional areas. Many members would know that I worked for the
manufacturing and metalworkers union for many years. In fact, that union took some of the best years of my life.
I joked that I got out before I grew facial hair and took on a Scottish
accent! I am very familiar with those non-traditional metals, manufacturing and
construction areas. As the Minister for Training, I know that we have
opportunities to train women in some of these areas of work, where they can
have good jobs and well-paid jobs. We need to crack into those areas if we want
to address the gender pay gap and if we want to increase the number of jobs for
women in our state. I was pleased when the Premier was able to announce on International Women's Day our
initiative for scholarships for women working in non-traditional trades and
technical occupations. This is a key area if we want to focus on improving the
gender pay gap in this state. We know we have a significant problem and getting
women into those non-traditional occupations is key to making serious inroads
into the gender pay gap.
As I said before, we know we have a
skills shortage in this state. We have the jobs. We need to be able to train
people to get them into those jobs. We are sending the very clear message to
women in this state that if they want to retrain or train in these
non-traditional areas, a $5 000 scholarship will be available for up to 400
training places. This is a very practical program that will not only make a real
difference for women who are thinking about moving into those areas, but also
send the message around the state that we want to support women in these areas.
The criteria will be when women comprise
less than 25 per cent of the workforce. This will be in state priority
occupations , STEM fields and building and construction. Of course, this
builds on our Free in '23 program—a huge opportunity for people
to get not only qualifications, but also just a taster. The skill sets are
opportunities for people to perhaps go in there and see whether it is an area
in which they might want to work. I am particularly pleased that the reports
are that the number of female apprentices operating in building and
construction has grown by 228 per cent, more than threefold, under our
government. I am very pleased with the figures for the three years preceding
2022.
I would also like to give a shout-out
to the AUKUS agreement, because this agreement has been identified as a significant
defence announcement, but of course it is an announcement about the jobs of the
future, as well. I was pleased when the
Minister for Defence Industry, Minister Papalia, who sits alongside me, was at
South Metropolitan TAFE as part of that announcement. In September last
year, our own South Metro TAFE was named at the Defence Connect Australian
Defence Industry Awards 2022 in Canberra as the academic institution of the
year. That is something we should be very proud of. In fact, in making that
announcement about the opportunities in AUKUS, Minister Papalia was joined by a
couple of young women who talked about why they are interested in joining the
defence industry. Already this government has The Other Force—Start
Something campaign and is proactively going out to people who might think about
those defence industry jobs. There is lots going on—women in
non-traditional trades scholarships, very practical supports and Start
Something. There is a clear message from our
government that we want women working in those non-traditional industries and
we are prepared to support them.
question and I appreciate the member for Belmont's interest in this
matter, because this is a government focused on jobs for Western Australians.
We are focused on developing the skills for the jobs for Western Australians to
make sure that people in this state have the skills to fill the jobs that we
know are out there. We are particularly
interested in those members of the community whose ability to participate in
the workforce or think about a job change is under-utilised. That is
certainly the case for women. We have an ability for women in this state to
participate more in the Western Australian workforce if we give them the
opportunity.
As
the Minister for Training, I know that there is a real chance to target women
moving into secure jobs, into well- paid jobs and into jobs that
traditionally they have not been large participants in—the
non-traditional areas. Many members would know that I worked for the
manufacturing and metalworkers union for many years. In fact, that union took some of the best years of my life.
I joked that I got out before I grew facial hair and took on a Scottish
accent! I am very familiar with those non-traditional metals, manufacturing and
construction areas. As the Minister for Training, I know that we have
opportunities to train women in some of these areas of work, where they can
have good jobs and well-paid jobs. We need to crack into those areas if we want
to address the gender pay gap and if we want to increase the number of jobs for
women in our state. I was pleased when the Premier was able to announce on International Women's Day our
initiative for scholarships for women working in non-traditional trades and
technical occupations. This is a key area if we want to focus on improving the
gender pay gap in this state. We know we have a significant problem and getting
women into those non-traditional occupations is key to making serious inroads
into the gender pay gap.
As I said before, we know we have a
skills shortage in this state. We have the jobs. We need to be able to train
people to get them into those jobs. We are sending the very clear message to
women in this state that if they want to retrain or train in these
non-traditional areas, a $5 000 scholarship will be available for up to 400
training places. This is a very practical program that will not only make a real
difference for women who are thinking about moving into those areas, but also
send the message around the state that we want to support women in these areas.
The criteria will be when women comprise
less than 25 per cent of the workforce. This will be in state priority
occupations , STEM fields and building and construction. Of course, this
builds on our Free in '23 program—a huge opportunity for people
to get not only qualifications, but also just a taster. The skill sets are
opportunities for people to perhaps go in there and see whether it is an area
in which they might want to work. I am particularly pleased that the reports
are that the number of female apprentices operating in building and
construction has grown by 228 per cent, more than threefold, under our
government. I am very pleased with the figures for the three years preceding
2022.
I would also like to give a shout-out
to the AUKUS agreement, because this agreement has been identified as a significant
defence announcement, but of course it is an announcement about the jobs of the
future, as well. I was pleased when the
Minister for Defence Industry, Minister Papalia, who sits alongside me, was at
South Metropolitan TAFE as part of that announcement. In September last
year, our own South Metro TAFE was named at the Defence Connect Australian
Defence Industry Awards 2022 in Canberra as the academic institution of the
year. That is something we should be very proud of. In fact, in making that
announcement about the opportunities in AUKUS, Minister Papalia was joined by a
couple of young women who talked about why they are interested in joining the
defence industry. Already this government has The Other Force—Start
Something campaign and is proactively going out to people who might think about
those defence industry jobs. There is lots going on—women in
non-traditional trades scholarships, very practical supports and Start
Something. There is a clear message from our
government that we want women working in those non-traditional industries and
we are prepared to support them.
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