Community
21 March, 2024
“Jobs do not have a gender”
STUDENTS at Derrinallum P-12 College picked up tools recently for an incursion to learn about pathways into trades careers for women.
The incursion was run by Supporting and Linking Tradeswoman (SALT), an organisation dedicated to encouraging women to pick up tools and work in the trades field.
SALT founder, cheif executive officer and president Fiona Shewring said the organisation began in 2009 because of a lack of women in non-traditional roles.
“I’m a painter-decorator first; I became a carpenter much later. I wanted to change things because there was nothing I couldn’t do; I loved the work, and it’s good money,” she said.
“There was half of the population of Australia not reaching these kind of apprenticeships, or these kinds of careers, or this kind of earning power. I wanted to change that.
“It was born out of that – the wish to change society’s view of what women can do and change women’s idea about what they can do.
“It’s since developed more into trying to embrace everybody and allow everybody to have a progressive career into trades if they wish to find the job that suits them.”
Students spent the day making simple wooden caddies from timber, using a variety of hand and power tools.
Ms Shewring said the idea was to teach about basic skills with tools.
“We’re teaching them how to use basic tools. Most trades use these tools, not all, but most of them do,” she said.
“These tools are also incredibly useful for anyone in their life.
“They’re basic tools most people should know how to use.”
SALT tradie trainer Karen Moss said she saw students enjoying themselves while learning about themselves as they made their caddies.
“They learn whether they like the smaller detail, whether they like working in a team, whether they like using the tools or not, and they also learn from seeing women tradies that are doing the job,” she said.
“I think it’s a great, inclusive workshop.
“A lot of the time, it’s harder for women to find apprenticeships in male-dominated areas, but it’s also hard for people who might be trans or non-binary or different sexualities.
“SALT is an inclusive organisation that wants everyone to have the opportunity to see if they like working with tools and seeing if they want a job in the trades.”
Ms Shewring said she hoped students took away a sense of achievement for what they completed, knowing they were able to use a variety of tools.
“Many of them come into the workshop thinking they can’t do this, and they’re frightened, and we show them that they do need to be respectful of tools – because they can hurt you, and you’ve got to do it correctly – but you also can do it, and you can do it well,” she said.
“It opens up about 500 different apprenticeships and traineeships that they otherwise would not have thought about.
“I firmly believe, and I said it many years ago, that jobs do not have a gender.
“I also firmly believe that the workplace should reflect our society.”
Derrinallum P-12 College teacher Jess Niblett said students have reacted positively to the incursion, engaging well with the activity.
“I can already tell by moving around the room there’s some girls that really lit up by doing this stuff,” she said.
“Even if it’s only going to hit those couple of kids and really have a big impact on them, it’s still achieving something form them.
“I’m trying to get kids out there, and people into the school, as much as I can to expose them to a variety of workplaces and career pathways.”