Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation

Building Career Pathways in the Trades for Women at Risk  

Tradeswomen Australia Group – Tradeswomen Australia (TWA) and Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation (TWACF) today announced the Wyndham Pathways Project aimed at assisting women obtain access to well-paid employment in the trades area.  

The project will focus on women in vulnerable and at-risk demographics, including but not limited to, newly arrived women, women from lower-income households, and women recovering from trauma.

Chair of Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation, Janet Cribbes said “Participation of women as apprentices/trainees in the non-traditional trades, especially the core trades of construction, automotive and electrical, has remained at less than 2% and has changed little over the last 25 years.  

Ms Cribbes said through the Wyndham Pathways Project, with the combined resources and connections of Tradeswomen Australia (TWA) and Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation (TWACF), we are encouraging women to enter the trades with information, connections, support and the power of social and economic inclusion. 

“As Australia works through the economic turmoil of the pandemic, there is an increasing danger that the poverty gap will widen substantially, and the Wyndham Pathways Project in its approach could be the catalyst for a wider movement of such programs to assist women. 

“The Wyndham Pathways Project welcomes women of all backgrounds, and we have a particular focus on supporting indigenous women, women refugees and asylum-seekers, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and women with a disability.”

Ms Cribbes announced that TWACF has appointed Ms Katie Yates, a highly experienced and successful manager of major social and economic inclusion campaigns for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal in London as the TWACF Community Project Manager to head the Wyndham Pathways Project. Ms Yates moved from London to Melbourne in November 2020 after completing her Masters degree in Human Rights at the London School of Economics and Political Science. 

Ms Yates said, “through a series of co-ordinated workshops participants will gain access to trades businesses and develop skills confidence and connections including: 
 
• Seeing a variety of roles within the trades industry and the women that occupy them
• Gaining increased knowledge of the different roles available to them.
• Develop supportive relationships with their peers and mentors.
• Finish the programme with increased confidence in their abilities.
 
“By the end of the programme, participants will have increased confidence to pursue a career within the trades industry and will have secured jobs or further training to begin carving their own pathway into their chosen trade,” Ms Yates said. 
 
CLICK HERE to register to attend the Information Session | 'Building Futures: Pathways to Trade' with TWACF Thursday 25 February at 6.00pm. 
 
This will be hosted on Zoom and will be recorded and is an opportunity for prospective participants to learn more about the programme and its benefits. 
 
The Tradeswomen Australia Group Wyndham Pathways Project is supported by the City of Wyndham, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund and Victoria University. 

https://www.twacf.org/about-twacf

Media Enquiries:
Ron Smith, Media Communications, Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation
– Mobile: 0417 329 201

Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation

The Federal and State Government's throughout Australia are being urged ensure increasing employment and housing for vulnerable women are built into the COVID national recovery strategies.  

The Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation welcomed the announcement today by the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, of the Federal Government’s Local Recovery Fund aimed at increasing employment in 25 regions across Australia. 

Janet Cribbes, Chair of the Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation, which has been set up to assist vulnerable women and help them gain employment in the trades, said “now is the time to drive a national employment campaign to lift the number of women employed in the trades and increase housing for vulnerable women." 

Currently the National Skills Needs List (2019) lists 65 trades that are experiencing national skills shortages. Of those, 62 can be classed as male-dominated trades; only 3 could be classed as female-dominated.

Ms Cribbes said the new program announced today by Minister Cash would assist women gain employment in the trades, one of the Federal Government's stated objectives, which we welcome and support.  

“The COVID recovery ‘shovel ready’ projects provide a substantial opportunity for Federal and State Government's to address and promote the employment of tradeswomen and careers in the trades to schools and the broader community, including parents.” 

"The Federal Government's $1.2 billion budget commitment to fund 50% of apprentice’s wages for one year should also provide an opportunity to lift the participation rate of women in the Trades area and we would look to this being extended and to the Government actively engaging with women to promote this opportunity. "

Ms Cribbes said a growing number of women in Australia will continue to face financial hardship and a greater risk of homelessness during retirement. It is important to provide a focus on creating increased employment opportunities in the post COVID recovery.

“Part of the challenge is the need for a coordinated approach to lift the number of women employed across all trades.”

Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation Taking Action 

Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation aims to boost Australia’s recovery and women’s financial security by encouraging employment in trades. 

We do this by: 

• Supporting vulnerable and at-risk women to transition to financial and life security through career, education, and other pathways 

• Resourcing peer support groups, career, and personal mentoring, 

• Providing training in resilience, engagement, and careers 

• Ensuring potential employers are welcoming and inclusive 

• Connecting women to our network of employers, primarily in trades-related industries. 

Who we focus on: 

We focus on women in vulnerable demographics, including: 

• relatively recently arrived in Australia 

• in lower-income households 

• recovering from traumatic experiences 

• experiencing or having experienced other hardship or adverse circumstances  

Media Enquiries:
Ron Smith, Media Communications, Tradeswomen Australia – Mobile: 0417 329 201

Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation

Click HERE to link to the launch live NOW 

Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation’s vision is that all women are able to live free of poverty and disadvantage and participate in the career and life of their choice. 

Tradeswomen Australia have announced the formation of a major charity – a community foundation which will support vulnerable and at-risk women to transition to financial and life security through a career and other pathways. 

Managing Director of Tradeswomen Australia, Fiona McDonald said, ‘The Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation will provide a powerful link between connecting women to employers and others, primarily in trades-related industries.

“Tradeswomen Australia is campaigning to address the lack of women across 62 trades in Australia, where despite shortages in many trades, the participation rate of women is at an appalling 2% - the same level it has been for around 25 years.” 

Ms McDonald said Dr Susan Alberti AC, Patron of Tradeswomen Australia, one of Australia’s major philanthropists and important voice on women’s issues in Australia, has also accepted the role of Patron of the Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation. 

VFLW player Kendra Heil from the Essendon Bombers, a painter, has joined the TWA Community Foundation team as an Ambassador. 

The former Mayor of the City of Port Phillip, Janet Cribbes, who has extensive experience in government, community, and not for profit sectors with a particular interest in progressing opportunities for women, will lead the new Foundation as Chair. 

Ms Cribbes experience includes management of the Bushfire Community Recovery Service, Co-Chair of St Kilda Community Housing, Chair of Wellsprings for Women Neighbourhood House Dandenong.

Ms McDonald said the formation of the Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation comes at an extremely difficult time for women in Australia, who are losing their jobs at five times the rate of men, suffering an increase in domestic violence, and dealing with gender bias on many fronts which is heightened by the impact of the COVID pandemic.     

VFLW player, Kendra Heil
Ambassador for Tradeswomen Australia
Community Foundation

Helen Reddy
With gratitude for an inspirational life – thank you Helen Reddy - singer, songwriter, author, actor, activist – born Melbourne 25 October 1941 and passed away Los Angeles 29 September 2020 – your voice lives on forever in support of women. 

Media Enquiries:
Ron Smith, Media Communications, Tradeswomen Australia – Mobile: 0417 329 201  

Sunday 11 October 2020 International Day of the Girl  

  Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation 

www.tradeswomenaustralia.com.au

Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation

Media Alert - Advance Notice

Tradeswomen Australia to Launch Community Foundation
“All girls and women should be able to live free of poverty and disadvantage and be enabled to participate in the career and life of  their choice"

Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation 

9.00am Online Friday 9 October 2020

Tradeswomen Australia is campaigning to address the lack of women across 62 trades in Australia, where despite shortages in many trades, the participation rate of women is at an appalling 2% - the same level it has been for around 25 years. 

Tradeswomen Australia are set to launch stage two of ‘Operation Protect and Preserve’ with the formation of a major charity foundation which will support vulnerable and at-risk women to transition to financial and life security through career and other pathways.  

The launch of the new Community Foundation at the MCG will go live on Facebook and Instagram at 9.00am Friday morning.  

The Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation will provide a powerful link between connecting women to employers and others, primarily in trades-related industries. 

Ms Susan Alberti AC, Patron of Tradeswomen Australia, one of Australia’s most important voices on women’s issues in Australia, has also accepted the role of Patron of the Tradeswomen Australia Community Foundation. Ms Alberti will speak at the launch.  

AFLW player Kendra Heil of Essendon, a painter by trade, has joined the TWA Community Foundation team as an Ambassador.  

Tradeswomen Australia will distribute the live links to attend the launch at 9.00am Friday morning. 

Media Enquiries: 

Ron Smith, Media Communications, Tradeswomen Australia – Mobile: 0417 329 201