Western Australia’s construction and trade sectors are facing a familiar challenge: strong demand for skilled workers alongside persistent workforce shortages. While governments and industry bodies continue to focus on productivity, skills pipelines and training capacity, one issue has remained stubbornly unchanged for decades, the low participation of women in trade-based careers.
The Cook Labor Government is now attempting to shift that dynamic, launching a new campaign to promote its Women in Trades Scholarship Program, a targeted initiative designed to reduce financial barriers and encourage more women into traditionally male-dominated industries.
The campaign places renewed attention on the role that accessible training, financial support and structured mentoring can play in building a more diverse and resilient workforce across Western Australia’s economy.
A $2 Million Investment in Skills and Participation
At the centre of the campaign is a $2 million funding commitment, which will deliver up to 400 scholarships over four years. Each scholarship provides $5,000 to eligible women undertaking apprenticeships, traineeships or qualifications through Western Australian TAFE colleges.
For 2026, 100 scholarship places are available across five WA TAFEs, including regional campuses, a detail that signals the program’s intent to support both metropolitan and regional workforce development.
The scholarships are targeted at occupations with historically low female participation, particularly across:
- Building and construction
- Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)
- Manufacturing and clean energy
- Defence, automotive, electrical and mining trades
These sectors are widely recognised as offering stable, well-paid career pathways, yet women continue to make up less than 25 per cent of the workforce in many of them.
Addressing Cost as a Practical Barrier
Unlike broader awareness campaigns that focus primarily on inspiration and visibility, the Women in Trades Scholarship Program is designed to tackle a more immediate and practical issue: cost.
Recipients can use the $5,000 scholarship to cover a wide range of expenses commonly faced during training and upskilling, including:
- Course fees and learning resources
- Tools, workwear and personal protective equipment
- Licences, tickets and mandatory certifications
- Transport and accommodation
- Childcare costs
For many women considering a transition into trades, particularly mature-age entrants or those with caring responsibilities, these upfront and ongoing costs are often cited as a decisive barrier.
By directly offsetting those expenses, the program aims to make trade training a more realistic option, rather than an aspirational one.
Beyond Funding: Mentoring and Support
Financial assistance alone, however, is rarely enough to ensure long-term success. Recognising this, the scholarship program also includes tailored mentoring and support services for recipients.
These services are designed to help women:
- Navigate training environments where they may be underrepresented
- Complete their qualifications successfully
- Transition from training into sustained employment
This combination of financial support and structured guidance reflects a broader shift in workforce policy — moving beyond enrolment numbers toward completion rates and employment outcomes.
Promoted Where People Actually Are
The new campaign will be promoted across social media, streaming platforms and radio, building on the Cook Government’s earlier “You can make it here” campaign, which highlighted career pathways created by WA’s extensive range of fee-free and low-fee TAFE courses.
That earlier campaign focused on the breadth of opportunity within WA’s training system. The Women in Trades campaign narrows the lens, targeting a specific participation gap and linking opportunity directly to financial and structural support.
Skills Policy Meets Economic Strategy
For the Cook Government, the scholarship program is positioned as both a workforce initiative and an economic strategy.
As Western Australia continues to diversify its economy, demand for skilled labour across construction, energy, advanced manufacturing and resources remains strong. Expanding participation among women is seen as a way to grow the workforce without relying solely on migration or short-term labour solutions.
Speaking on the program, Amber-Jade Sanderson, Minister for Skills and TAFE, said the scholarships are about ensuring more Western Australians can access well-paid, high-demand jobs.
“The Cook Government is committed to providing affordable and accessible training opportunities for all Western Australians,” she said.
“We are diversifying our economy and creating well-paying, quality jobs. Support through our Women in Trades scholarships helps women to make the most of these job opportunities.”
“We want them to get the right skills to break into a well-paid, high-demand job.”
Her comments reflect a policy approach that links training investment directly to labour market needs, rather than treating skills development in isolation.
Challenging Long-Standing Industry Norms
For Simone McGurk, the program also carries a broader social objective: challenging the stereotypes that have historically shaped who “belongs” in certain industries.
“Making training more accessible to all Western Australians is a priority of the Cook Government,” she said.
“Breaking down the stereotypes and reducing any barriers for women in industries that have long been considered male dominated is vital.”
“We want to encourage more women into industries such as building and construction, science, technology, engineering and maths.”
“These scholarships are a fantastic initiative to help reduce the financial burden women can face when training or upskilling.”
While cultural change within industries often moves slowly, targeted programs like this are increasingly being used as levers to accelerate progress, particularly when aligned with labour shortages and economic necessity.
What This Means for Builders and Employers
For builders, contractors and suppliers across Western Australia, the program has practical implications.
An expanded pipeline of women entering trade training can help address skills shortages over time, particularly in areas such as electrical, construction, manufacturing and emerging clean energy roles.
However, the success of initiatives like the Women in Trades Scholarship Program will ultimately depend on industry response, not just government funding.
Workplace culture, site conditions, mentoring, flexible arrangements and long-term career pathways all play a role in whether new entrants remain in the industry after qualification.
In that sense, the scholarship program may act as both an opportunity and a test for employers: an opportunity to access a broader talent pool, and a test of whether workplaces are ready to support that diversity sustainably.
Applications Now Open
Applications for the 100 Women in Trades Scholarships available in 2026 are now open across five Western Australian TAFE colleges.
Further details, including eligibility criteria and application processes, are available via the WA TAFE website.
As governments continue to search for ways to lift productivity and capacity in construction and trade sectors, initiatives like this highlight a growing recognition that workforce growth is not just about numbers, it’s about who gets access, what barriers exist, and how industry responds once the door is opened.
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