Eight young women have been given the head start they need in seeking a potential career in the trades sector.
The Girls Can Too! program is designed to teach and empower the next generation of female tradies.
Held locally for the first time, the program graduates came from the Deniliquin, Finley and Barham high schools.
They were given a “taste” of careers traditionally filled by men and, for some, it has fuelled a passion they wish to explore further.
Deni High’s sole program participant Keira Wardlaw said the chance to participate was suggested by careers teacher Pam Sinha because she had already expressed an interest in being a ‘tradie’.
“It was something different, and I’ve wanted to go into tiling for a bit now,” she said of her reasons for joining the program.
And while tiling was not a big part of the six week course, Keira said the opportunity to explore welding, automotive and “cutting windows” was also “fun”.
But tiling is still what Keria wants to explore for her future, and will spend next week delving into the trade in more detail as part of the Deni High Year 10 work experience program.
The Girls Can Too! program is a joint venture between the Regional Industry Education Partnerships program, TAFE NSW and employment and training organisation Squad.
The girls had the opportunity to try their hands at carpentry, plumbing, tiling, automotive, construction and fabrication with local trainers and employers.
They also had the opportunity to hear from women who work with Hutcheon and Pearce and Cummins, who shared their journey of what it is like to work in their respective industries.
At Wednesday’s graduation ceremony in Deniliquin, RIEP senior project officer Katie Friedlieb said the project was developed to help address the skills shortage of staff in the building and construction industry, and to encourage females in to non-traditional trades.
“Women are under represented in trades, making up only two per cent of qualified trade workers,” she said.
“There are many options available to each student now that this program has finished which includes employment, further vocational education and training study and school based apprenticeships and traineeships.
The team from Squad supported the program by donating work uniforms and delivering work readiness sessions, and gifted each of the girls a starter kit tool box along with their graduation certificates.