Women in Trades program participants built timber planter boxes from scratch. (Images: NexGen)
It’s easy to say that trades are for everyone. But for many young women, that message still isn’t landing. The Women in Trades program run by NexGen is working to change that.
By Lauren Fahey, executive director at NexGen.
In the April school holidays, NexGen and CathWest Innovation College hosted 22 young women, who took part in a fully funded Women in Trades program. It wasn’t a classroom lecture or a careers’ talk. It was tools, engines and real-world skills. It was delivered in a way that made construction feel not only possible, but powerful.
By Lauren Fahey, executive director at NexGen.
The first day was a deep dive into carpentry, and from the first swing of the hammer, something shifted. The girls built timber planter boxes from scratch, mastering tools many had never touched before. More than that, they got a taste of what it feels like to make something with their hands and feel proud of it.
The next day, it was engines and automotive. The girls learned to check oil, change tyres and understand how machines work. A tyre-changing competition saw one student change a tyre in 53 seconds flat, with long nails and zero fear. It wasn’t just fast. It was fierce.
But the real shift came through the stories. The lived experience. The proof that women are doing this and doing it well. Two powerhouse ambassadors joined us over the two days: Beth Mercieca and Louise Azzopardi, women who have not only broken into the industry, but are actively changing it.
Beth’s story had the girls hooked. She spoke about starting her career in hair and makeup, a space she enjoyed, but one that didn’t light her up the way carpentry does. Her transition wasn’t easy, but she backed herself. She talked about the confusion people had when she swapped a hairbrush for a hammer, but she knew she wanted more. Now, a carpenter and the first-ever female HIA Apprentice of the Year, Beth is blazing a trail and showing girls that it’s okay to change direction, especially when that direction leads to purpose.
Louise shared openly about the moments where she doubted herself, particularly when people questioned her achievements, suggesting she was only recognised because she was a woman. But Louise knew her worth and proved it at the international WorldSkills Competition, where results are based purely on skill, not gender. She held her own on a global stage, not as a female tradie, but as a top performer. Today, she’s using her experience to give back by mentoring apprentices, teaching at TAFE and coaching others to believe in themselves the way she once had to.
Their stories landed hard. Not because they were polished. But because they were real and relatable.
Even with programs like this, many young women still struggle to get their foot in the door. Both unconscious and sometimes conscious bias is still deeply embedded. Some employers still don’t picture a girl when they think “apprentice.” Others worry about culture fit or physical strength. The excuses vary, but the outcome is the same: incredible potential going to waste.
