PUMP THE BREAKS
IT’S TIME TO STOP CHOOSING CAREERS BASED ON GENDER TRADITIONS
THE benefits of workplace diversity are widely known, and employers and educators have long encouraged people to think beyond stereotypes when choosing a career path.
Still, research from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) reveals many Australians pick courses and careers along gender lines.
It shows men – who made up 65 per cent of all Australians who completed a vocational qualification last year – dominated courses in architecture and building (98 per cent), engineering and related technologies (93 per cent), information technology (85 per cent), and agriculture and environmental studies (80 per cent).
Women, meanwhile, gravitated to courses in education (94 per cent), health (85 per cent), society and culture (74 per cent), and management and commerce (65 per cent).
Among the 443 certificates and diplomas analysed by NCVER, 53 did not produce male graduates and 149 did not produce female graduates.
Recruitment agency Drake Industrial general manager Nicole Jones says Australia needs more workplace diversity as it is good for business “whether it’s white collar or blue collar work”.
“We are experiencing skill shortages across many of our trade industries due to border closures at a local level but also internationally along with low immigration numbers,” she says.
“The reality is, businesses need to maximise their talent pool in order to meet resourcing and business demands moving forward.”
Jones says companies with a diverse workforce have been shown to be more productive and profitable as diversity encourages greater innovation and creativity.
“Men and women offer different approaches and perspectives, whether it be in problem solving, decision making, communication styles,” she says.
“Gender diversity ensures companies have optimum resolutions for problems and challenges.”
She particularly encourages women to consider a trade, even if it is traditionally dominated by men. One major drawcard is the pay. “The gender pay gap is almost non-existent in trade-based roles as the rate of pay is often in accordance to specific industry agreements,” she says.
“You are paid the same as your counterpart based on your skills and years of experience.
“Earning potential is also high with many roles being in demand, and sixfigure salaries are realistic in many trade roles.”
Trades also offer stability and longevity as most are considered an essential service.
“As an example, with our population growing year on year, housing growth continues to be on an upward trajectory, meaning carpenters, electricians and plumbers will always be required,” Jones says.
“Our infrastructure demand as a country is also contributing to a candidate-tight market in many key technical trades. There are now clear pathways for trades, from apprenticeships through to management/project type/consulting roles, providing lots of opportunity for career growth and progression.”
Although most traditional trades employ more men than women, Jones says the balance is improving in certain fields.
“Some of the more interesting or non-traditional core roles where we’ve seen an increase in female candidates include mechanical fitters, boilermakers and industrial electricians,” she says.
“These type of roles align with the skill set of many of our female candidates, as they require a high level of detail and precision. In a broader sense, we have seen a significant increase in women as general labourers, general trades and machine operators.”