New plumbing course taps into the female market

Education and Training Minister Rod Welford today congratulated the first group to enrol in a Tropical North Queensland TAFE plumbing course targeting women.

Mr Welford said the first 13 women had been selected from more than 65 applicants for the Tap Girls course, due to start next year in Cairns.

The Minister’s Parliamentary Secretary Bonny Barry will celebrate with the successful applicants as part of Pink Ribbon Day celebrations at the Cairns TAFE campus.

”The plumbing course follows the Girls with Spark program which saw 13 students employed as apprentice electricians,” Mr Welford said.

“The level of interest and support the Tap Girls course has received from far northern businesses and the wider community is very encouraging.

“The applicants so far include school leavers, school students who will finish this year, retail workers and others with backgrounds in farming.”

Mr Welford said the programs break down the stereotypes that trades are just for men and at the same time help address the skills shortage.

“We want to provide the opportunity for women who may not have considered a trade career before, to do so,” he said. “We also want to address the skills shortage and currently we are only tapping into half the market.”

The 16 week program is a joint partnership between Construction Skills Queensland and the Tropical North Queensland TAFE, leading students towards a plumbing apprenticeship and full time work.

The course receives $150,000 from Construction Skills Queensland, which covers all learning materials, tools and uniforms, with students receiving a Certificate II in Plumbing on completion.

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research results indicate four out of five TAFE graduates are employed within six months of completing training.

Commencing in January 2009, the course will combine theory and practical experiences in conjunction with a four week industry placement.

Media contact: Marnie Stitz on 0419 734 985