Empowering women apprentices in male dominated roles

Evelyn Reid prepares to cut a length of timber at a job site. PIC: PHIL WILLIAMS 381522_02

More apprentice opportunities for women are set to become available in roles traditionally dominated by males throughout Victoria, including in Hume and Whittlesea.

Human services provider Advanced Personnel Management (APM) will help the federal as part of a long shakeup of the Australian Apprenticeship Support Services.

APM will also help increase the number of apprentices in clean energy occupations in the Melbourne region as part of efforts to help transition Australia to a carbon-neutral future.

The government has overhauled the Australian Apprenticeship Support Services and brought in new providers like APM as part of its drive to increase the number of apprentices nationally in key areas to help underpin Australia’s future economic and skills security. This is a key plank of the Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit commitment to explore options to improve apprenticeship support services and drive-up completions.

APM has been chosen to deliver two new streams in a new “Specialist Providers” category the Government hopes will strengthen its new service delivery model.

In Melbourne, APM will provide support for women in male-dominated trades, as well as apprenticeships working towards Clean Energy occupations.

New Energy industries include work in solar installation, large-scale renewable projects, electric vehicles, green hydrogen and renewable manufacturing

Employment Services chief executive Karen Rainbow said APM was looking forward to working locally across the Melbourne region to improve apprenticeship retention rates.

“Apprenticeships are the backbone of our national skills system and this new service is the product of a long consultation that will place apprentices at the centre of everything and help set them up for success,” she said.

“APM is very excited to be offering this important initiative in Melbourne and we look forward to strengthened mentoring support services for apprentices and employers while providing greater support for key client groups such as women in male dominated trades and clean energy occupations.”