Albanese Government partnering with Master Builders to Build Women’s Careers

The Albanese Government is partnering with Master Builders Australia to mark its commitment to increasing the female workforce in critical trade industries.

Today Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles joined Master Builders to announce they are the successful recipient of a grant under the government’s flagship Building Women’s Careers Program.

Right now, women make up less than 8% of all female apprentices in male-dominated trades, and less than 5% of in construction.

Less than one third of apprentices in all trades are women.

Research by the Master Builders Association shows that for every new qualified tradie, an extra 2.4 houses will be built each year, so it is critical to hire and retain people from all backgrounds.

Master Builders Australia will lead the Give Her a Chance project to tackle bias in the construction industry through education campaigns, mentoring programs, networking opportunities and best-practice resources and partnerships.

The project will create an environment where women actively consider, succeed and thrive in the construction industry, empowering influencers such as male advocates to shift culture and foster a collective effort to improve workplaces.

To maximise its success and reach all parts of the supply chain, Master Builders has partnered with the Australian Workers Union, Civil Contractors Federation, Brickworks and Bunnings to deliver the project.

Under the first stream of Building Women’s Careers funding, ten projects will receive a combined $45 million under the Building Women’s Careers program.

The projects focus on creating scalable, high-quality and inclusive training and employment opportunities for women, through partnerships with industry, by:

• encouraging industry-wide male advocacy for women
• undertaking targeted recruitment activities to boost participation
• providing tailored training packages that build skills
• implementing national frameworks that guide industry action

The Building Women’s Careers Program was announced in the last budget as part of the Australian Government $22.7 billion Future Made in Australia package.

These partnership projects will address barriers for women entering, remaining and advancing in the traditionally male-dominated industries of construction, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and digital and technology.

More information on the projects is available on the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles:

“Boosting women’s participation in the workforce is fundamental to addressing skills shortages building Australia’s future.

“Today I am sending a message that there is room for women and men on worksites and we’ll do everything we can to balance the scale.

“We are taking the important first steps to introduce new pathways for women to enter traditionally male-dominated industries and make industry workplaces safer and more equitable.

“These projects are tackling the structural and cultural barriers that often stop women from considering careers in these industries head on.

“By working in partnership across the community, we are working to ensures that these barriers are being addressed from all angles.”

Quotes attributable to Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn:

"Workforce shortages are the biggest challenge in our industry, and we need to do our part to make it more attractive for women to work.

“Master Builders is thrilled to lead this project, bringing together key industry players right across the supply chain because we know without a whole of industry approach we will struggle to boost and retain women's participation and create long-lasting, meaningful change.

Quotes attributable to Australian Workers Union National Secretary Paul Farrow:

“This is an outstanding initiative from the federal government because it recognises that meaningful cultural change can only occur via a collaborative approach that starts from the grassroots and builds up.

“Women have a vital contribution to make to the Australian civil construction industry, but that potential has not been fully realised. To fix that we have to work together."