A group of students from Marian College and Lake Bolac College donned safety goggles and hit the tools as part of a Supporting And Linking Tradeswomen INC (SALT) workshop in Ararat this month.
With the support of Central Grampians LLEN, SALT, in conjunction with the National Careers Institute, visited Alexandra Hall to encourage young women to consider a career in a trade.
SALT Coordinator, Fi Shewring said the workshops were designed to inspire girls to pursue hands-on occupations and get local employers thinking about taking on more women as apprentices in industries that are traditionally male dominated.
“The workshops are run by experienced tradespeople and aim to give young women an idea of what it takes to be a tradeswoman and the myriad of job opportunities available,” Ms Shewring said.
“Students are given hands-on experience of tools used in most trades and gain great skills which will help them in the future for their own lives.
“The tradespeople also mentor the students about making positive career choices which will enable them to earn a reasonable wage and build their self-esteem and confidence.
“We hope that local employers take notice that there are young women in their area who are seriously interested in a trade career.”
Central Grampians LLEN Executive Officer, Jane Moriarty said the SALT workshops helped break down stereotypes and reinforce to students that jobs do not have a gender.
“This was a fabulous initiative for our region and really helped expose young local women to career pathways they wouldn’t normally consider. There was such a positive vibe in the room, and we had great feedback from the students who participated,” Ms Moriaty said.
“We would like to thank SALT and the National Careers Institute for bringing this unique program to rural and remote areas and providing students with positive role models that encourage them to build their career aspirations.”
For further information please contact:
Jessie Newton on 03 5352 3266 or email media@cgllen.org.au.
PHOTO: Marian College students, Tia, Zoe and Ashleigh had the opportunity to test their carpentry skill under the guidance of SALT tradesperson, Jess.