Auto Skills Australia (ASA) has revealed a targeted campaign to attract women into employment within the automotive industry, which could be of interest for women seeking automotive apprenticeships in Queensland.
The Girls in Auto initiative has been created to address a troubling skills shortage facing the industry. More than 34,000 positions need to be filled nationally, according to ASA figures.
The main areas of trade skills shortages include mechanics (19,000 positions), panel beaters (4,000), spray painters (2,600) and auto electricians (850).
Currently, women only make up around 4 to 5 per cent of trade apprenticeships in these troubled areas. ASA believes attracting females into these sectors is a crucial factor in meeting skills demand into the future.
“Through our MAAP My Future – Girls in Auto initiative, Auto Skills Australia will be encouraging more women to enter into the industry to help fill these skills shortages. In March we will be launching a call to action to women and girls in the auto industry,” ASA Chief Executive Officer Geoff Gwilym said in a January 17 media release.
The initiative includes asking women already working the automotive industry to take part in social media campaigns to raise awareness of their presence in these male-dominated roles.
Girls in Auto is scheduled to begin on March 8 to coincide with International Women’s Day. The launch of the initiative will include a prompt for women to register their interest in employment in the automotive industry.
Currently, ASA has been working on highlighting the women already involved in apprenticeships in the automotive industry around Australia. This includes featuring a number of successful female automotive apprentices in a January 5 interview with The Age.
”I noticed that there wasn’t a lot of women in the industry and just the small things, like borrowing a hair tie or chatting about the weekend was hard,” Fiona Lawrie, apprentice mechanic from Geelong said.
”It’s been comforting being able to share the common interest of working in a man’s world and encouraging women to follow their dreams.”
ASA believes the Girls in Auto initiative is important to not only encourage women to take part in the Automotive industry, but also to consider all trade areas that are male dominated and not typically seen as career paths for women.
Women looking for employment in these non-traditional roles are encouraged to consider taking part in apprenticeships or traineeships in Queensland to gain the necessary skills to participate in these trades-based sectors.
By Leanne de Toerkenczy, Public Relations Coordinator
