Miles Doing What Matters: New Fund to Empower Queensland’s Women Tradies

• $3.5 million committed for new industry-led skills solutions in construction and women in non-traditional industries
• Growing construction workforce critical to Miles Government’s Homes for Queenslanders plan, building one million more homes
• Part of a $35 million commitment to industry-led kills solutions as part of the Good Jobs, Great Training: Queensland Skills Strategy 2024–2028.

The Miles Labor Government is doing what matters for Queensland with $3.5 million aimed to get more women into priority sectors of construction and male-dominated blue-collar industries.

The initiative will enable employers to address workforce skills issues and help women increasingly looking to enter male-dominated industries overcome obstacles, to both access and remain in these important sectors.

It’s expected that specific industry-led projects to get more women into non-traditional industries will be led by a coalition of industry and relevant stakeholder groups including the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

Industries could include horticulture, automotive, building and construction, manufacturing, butchery, boiler making, electrical, carpentry, plumbing, engineering, information technology, and commercial cookery.

Quotes attributable to Housing Minister and Member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon:

“Increasing women’s participation in construction and traditionally male-dominated industries is critical to building the homes and infrastructure we need.

“There are more than 1.32 million people in the construction and building industry, yet women barely make up 14 per cent of that workforce. That needs to change.

“The Miles Government is backing more women in construction and male-dominated industries with funding that’ll give them the skills they need to get on the tools sooner.”

Quotes attributable to President of the National Association of Women in Construction Queensland Chapter Emma McCaughey:

“We very warmly welcome this announcement by the Queensland Government to provide funding under the industrial skills solutions initiative because we’re all about increasing female participation in male dominated industries.

“It’s so important to get more women on the tools, especially with the Big Build and the portfolio of work, it’s so important to increase these percentages.

“We can’t not consider 50% of the population when we’ve got a resource shortage so how can we increase that attraction, that retention, the recruitment, and the promotion of women across all the construction sectors.

“Women only represent 4.8% of the construction industry in trade roles and over the total construction industry only 14%, so our goal over the last 30 years is to increase female participation across all sectors of the industry and we certainly welcome this initiative and funding to allow us to be able to do that.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Lance McCallum:

"Under the LNP, Queensland’s women witnessed the devastation of their workforce in our blue collar and care economies with TAFE campuses closed, hardworking staff sacked, and TAFE fees jacked up or courses cut across the state.”

Explainer/fast fact and or further information:

• $35 million has been committed for industry-led skills solutions, as part of the Good Jobs, Great Training: Queensland Skills Strategy 2024–2028.
• A total of $8 million of initial funding will support:
• $2.5 million for Industry Skills Solutions – Construction
• $1 million for Industry Skills Solutions – Women In Non-Traditional Industries
• $3 million for Industry Skills Solutions – Aged Care
• $1.5 million for Industry Skills Solutions – Early Childhood Education and Care
• A working group and terms of reference will be established for each industry sector made up of industry peak bodies and organisations, Jobs Queensland, public providers, community organisations and relevant government and union representatives.
• The initiative was developed in response to stakeholder feedback through the skills strategy’s consultation period, and provides funding for more immediate, customised and innovative training responses to bridge current skills gaps.
• For more information on the Industry Skills Solutions initiative, please visit: http://www.desbt.qld.gov.au/industry-skills-solutions

ENDS 

Media contact: Francis Dela Cruz -  0420 592 078