TRADING UP JOBS
FEMALES ENGINEERING A POST-COVID PATH
MORE women are taking advantage of the economic struggles of COVID-19 to step into male-dominated fields.
Data from the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training shows a 32 per cent rise in the number of women starting engineering apprenticeships and a 19 per cent rise in automotive training this year across Queensland training providers.
Training and Skills Development Minister Shannon Fentiman said six women were taking an engineering qualification in Far North Queensland this year. But for Cairns engineering apprentice Sonya Fleischfreesser, it is still very much a man’s game.
“I only know one other girl taking a trade course at TAFE; I’m the only girl in the classes I’ve been to,” she said.
“I moved home after five years doing vet nursing in WA. I didn’t want to do that anymore and decided to give something else a go.
“I knew I wanted to be more hands-on with what I did. Most places are pretty accommodating to women – some people seem surprised when they see what I do, but they don’t treat me differently.”
Ms Fleischfreesser is in the second year of a certificate III in engineering, working as a fitter and turner for her father at Cairns Springworks and Engineering.
Despite being her father, Brad Fleischfreesser says he does not treat her with kid gloves and has made sure she knows her way around every job and machine at the workshop. “I think a lot of tradies are keen to get more women on board – they’re very precise and they work hard,” he said.
Skill360 CEO Paul Daly said trades had not been as badly affected by the COVID crisis as other fields, making them a safer option to pursue for young jobseekers.
“A lot of effort has gone into providing information and exposure to the trades to anyone who is interested, not just boys,” he said. “During the pandemic many people have had the opportunity or need to rethink their career, and in the main trades have not been as badly effected ... as say hospitality and tourism.
“This, coupled with the ongoing need for tradespeople into the future, will continue to make undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship a viable and rewarding career path for young people.”