Melba Copland executive teacher Amber Turner with Try-a-Trade girls Candi Price, Megan Grice, Asha Watson, and Jayde Johnson. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
Hang on to your hard hats, the construction site will never be the same. And that’s a good thing.
Industry has realised it can’t ignore half the population if the nation’s skills needs are going to be met. Next year’s doubling of an ACT Government school program to open pathways to the trades for girls is a sure sign demand is there.
Melba Copland Year 9 student Asha Watson was all in when she learnt about the Women in Construction – Try-a-Trade program, available for years 8-10 in five schools and to be extended to five more from 2026-27 at a cost of $1.4 million over four years.
As someone who likes hands-on work, Asha said the program offered trade experiences in class and in industry that she would not have considered without it.
Try-a-Trade allows girls to do just that as well as discover what’s on offer at Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) and be placed on construction sites to get a real taste of how a project comes together.
Asha has been discovering all about plumbing – “a lot of piping and all that physical stuff” – and it’s now on her list of career options.
She is also learning about the different pathways to entering the building and construction industry.
“It’s really good seeing other people doing it and knowing there is a way to get into it,” she said at a pre-budget announcement on Thursday.
“Even if you don’t want to do construction, it gives you a really good pathway into other things.”
Fellow Year 9 student Jayde Johnson has been surprised by the number of trades available, helping to widen her horizons.
“I learnt there were so many more than what you’d originally think,” she said
“I always thought I would go to university when I graduated but now I’m thinking a trade would be a fun thing to do.”
The girls get to tackle projects in class and apply what they learn.
That focus on university is now buckling under the urgent need for skills and the realisation a degree is no guarantee of a job. Plus, girls and young women are just as keen to get on the tools as the boys.
Melba Copland executive teacher Amber Turner said the program was extremely popular and could fill more than the 25 places available as evidenced by double that number applying one year.
“So it is very competitive to get in and that’s why you end up with such a class of keen young women,” she said.
Ms Turner said the program gave the girls a lot more confidence in their abilities.
“Walking into the shed, they’re excited to use the tools, they’re excited to explore all the different things they’ve never used before in classes, and getting to apply what they’ve learned in class to something hands-on has been really exciting.”
Education Minister Yvette Berry said the popular pilot program had been oversubscribed with more than 2500 students participating in it so far.
Each year after the expansion, up to 2000 Year 8 students will participate in a curriculum-based elective while 220 Year 9 and 10 students will gain real-world experience through structured work placements.
It’s all hi-viz and hard hats as the class gets down to work at Melba Copland.
Ms Berry said the program, the only one of its kind in the country where teachers developed the curriculum specifically for it, was changing the stereotype that construction was only for men.
“We want to break that down, and by having this program in place we’re making a significant impact. We hope to see a real increase in female construction workers on all of our sites in the ACT,” Ms Berry said.
While the government would be collecting more data, Ms Berry said she knew of students who had gone on to an apprenticeship after completing the program.
“Employers have been so fantastic in working with us in this program and understanding how to support young women on construction sites,” she said.
“Employers are really embracing this opportunity where we’re creating a pipeline and then they’re able to develop and grow that pipeline into a qualified and really effective workforce.”
Treasurer and Planning Minister Chris Steel said the program was aimed at growing the ACT’s pipeline of skills needed to build the thousands of homes and infrastructure projects promised by the government.
“It’s been really great to hear from the students about their experiences, hands-on experiences, working with host employers on projects like building a new fire station, building more homes,” he said.
“This is going to be critical, giving young people a taste of what it means to work in the construction industry is really important and making sure there’s a pathway to move on to further opportunities in Year 11 and 12 in college and then potentially an apprenticeship in the future.”
Money found in a tight budget to expand Try-a-Trade underlines the program’s success.
The program supplies full personal protective equipment (PPE) including boots so there are no financial barriers to participate.
