NECA highlights need for female sparkies

The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) is calling for an industry-wide reassessment to ensure women not only join the electrical trades sector but thrive in this evolving industry.

At a time when the nation is facing an impending skills crisis, only 5.5% of licensed electricians in Australia are female.

The Australian Government’s Strategic Review of the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System (a system providing financial support to apprentices, trainees and employers working in priority industries) has highlighted a low apprenticeship completion rate as well as the urgent need for women to enter technical trades to bridge the skills gap.

NECA’s own national female workforce currently stands at 7.9% — a figure the organisation aims to increase. On a state level, women’s participation rates in NECA are currently 10% in NSW and 15% in the ACT.

Although NECA has a 90% overall apprentice completion rate, the group training organisation (GTO) said that one of its key aims is ensuring that women make a growing contribution to this achievement.

To bump up female participation, the organisation has appointed Jane Ewing as its first Female Engagement Officer, tasked with spearheading initiatives aimed at attracting more women to the electrical trades sector.

Much of Ewing’s focus is on encouraging students in high schools across NSW to join NECA’s two-week pre-apprenticeship programs. For female students in Year 10–12, the programs offer an opportunity to enter the world of electrical and construction trades, gaining the foundational knowledge to pursue a rewarding career that is in demand and well paid.

Ewing attributes NECA’s higher-than-average female participation rate to the organisation’s unique programs, which prioritise flexible training, encouraging more respectful, diverse, inclusive and safe worksite standards that cater to both younger and mature-age woman apprentices.

“We must dismantle barriers and pave the way for women to excel in the electrical trades sector. This includes first understanding the factors that deter women from joining in the first place and implementing programs and workplace reforms that foster their interest,” Ewing said.

“Today, there’s a growing recognition among electrical employees for diversity in their workforce. That’s where training organisations also come in to educate and empower women to step into this traditionally male-dominated field. It’s about listening, advocating for fair and inclusive workplaces, and arming them with the knowledge to take that crucial first step, which is joining.”

Third-year NECA apprentice Rachael Blair, who is currently training with the GTO’s Training and Apprenticeship Centre in Chullora, NSW, said that on completing high school, she wasn’t interested in pursuing a university degree. “I was fixing a light bulb one day and thought maybe I could become a sparkie,” she said.

“Joining was more enticing knowing that I also wouldn’t have HECS debt, that I’d have four years of experience by the time I graduate from my apprenticeship and that I could work with a larger commercial company.”

Sophie Liney, a third-year apprentice with NECA who will graduate next year, had started university but then realised she was after something more practical and interactive. “The trade sector is still very male-dominated but times have changed and standards have been raised in terms of how tradies interact with each other and women,” she said.

“My biggest concern as an apprentice has not so much been how I’m treated but more so the flexibility in learning and opportunities that I am given. No matter if you’re a first year or close to graduating like I am, it’s been really encouraging to have the ability to switch between working with hosts and diversifying my skill set.

When talking about support outside of training, Liney said, “There are support systems out there for women driven by the GTOs, who consistently check up on our mental, financial and physical safety and welfare, which I and younger apprentices have found useful.”

Ewing said that while GTOs have a direct role in encouraging women’s participation and completion of their courses, nationally enforced incentives are also a key part of this effort.

“While the aspiration to employ more women in non-traditional roles has been strong for many years, the incentive for women to join the sector remains unchanged. It’s important to set nationwide, uniform standard targets that GTOs and host companies can use to build on their policies,” she said.

Image credit: iStock.com/LOUISE BEAUMONT