Building Women’s Careers to ensure a Future Made in Australia

At Aspire Learning Resources, we are committed to supporting initiatives that drive structural and cultural changes, providing better learning, training and job opportunities for women. Recently, our team had the privilege of meeting with Hacia Atherton from Empowered Women in Trades (EWIT) and the Honourable Minister Brendan O'Connor to discuss how we can turn initiatives into action through our learning frameworks.

The Australian Government is investing $55.6 million over four years to establish the Building Women’s Careers Program. This program aims to advance structural and cultural change across industries, particularly in male-dominated sectors, such as construction, clean energy, technology and digital, and manufacturing. These industries are not only a priority but are also critical to the Government’s vision of a Future Made in Australia.

Key Elements of the Building Women’s Careers Program

Investment and Goals

The program's $55.6 million investment supports:

• Structural and cultural change: Promoting access and opportunities in the workforce.
• High-quality and responsive skills and training systems: Enhancing productivity through education.
• An adaptable, resilient and highly skilled workforce: Meeting the evolving needs of industries and economic conditions.

Program Implementation

The Building Women’s Careers Program will:

• Establish large-scale projects and smaller, place-based partnerships to foster change.
• Focus on creating high-quality training and employment opportunities for women that support women apprentices in priority occupations.
• Collaborate with industry peaks, unions, employers, training organisations, community organisations and women’s services.

Next Steps

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations is currently establishing the program’s grant guidelines in consultation with key stakeholders. Once finalised, calls for project funding will commence, with the first group of projects expected to be announced in late 2024 or early 2025.

Addressing Barriers to Women’s Participation

Women face numerous barriers to entering and thriving in male-dominated industries. These include gender pay gaps, unpaid caring responsibilities, lack of workplace flexibility, and gender discrimination. To overcome these challenges, the program will implement strategies highlighted in reports like the Respect@Work Report, the Employment White Paper, and the Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce Report.

At Aspire, we are excited to contribute to this initiative by developing and providing learning resources that support women in acquiring the skills needed for high-paying careers in these critical industries. Our recent discussions with EWIT and Minister O'Connor have underscored the importance of building women’s careers through a national framework that empowers women into trades.

Women’s participation in priority industries is essential for Australia's economic prosperity and resilience. By addressing the barriers that women face and providing robust training and support, we can ensure that more women have the opportunity to build successful careers in all industries. Aspire Learning Resources is proud to support this significant movement and looks forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on women's careers across the nation.