Where are the women tradies? Boosting representation can help fill the industry’s 90,000 shortfall

Australia is facing a critical workforce shortage with BuildSkills Australia highlighting the need for an additional 90,000 tradespeople in the next three months alone to meet the nation’s housing goals. This stark figure not only signals a critical shortage in skilled labour, but also highlights an opportunity to address gender disparities within the trades industry. 

Currently, female representation in skilled trades stands at a mere 3%, meaning there is a vast reservoir of talent and capability that remains untapped. Traditionally male-dominated industries have overlooked a vast talent pool of capable women, contributing to the workforce shortage. To remedy this, we must make a conscious effort to increase female representation in trades to 30% by 2030.