More women needed in the trades

More women needed in the trades

Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, and women are being called to learn a trade to help meet an increasing demand for tradespeople in New Zealand.

Hundreds of young Māori and Pasifika are currently building their skills under Māori and Pasifika Trades Training (MPTT Auckland), as the number of trades jobs continues to soar.

Last year, 23 per cent of MPTT Auckland trainees were women and the organisation is keen to see that rise to 40 per cent in the next four years.

Kirk Sargent, MPTT Auckland Project Manager, says the trades sector has traditionally been male-dominated, evidenced by the fact that women made up only 5 per cent of all tradespeople in 2013.

“The good news is that’s starting to change and we’re seeing a growing number of women finding success as carpenters, electricians and plumbers, for example.

“Many of the employers we’re talking to are keen to get more women on board, and a lot of the women who train with us are thriving.”

One such woman is Elizabeth Cruickshank, who is training to be a carpenter at Manukau Institute of Technology with a scholarship from MPTT Auckland.

Elizabeth says although she has experienced some old-fashioned responses, she loves the work and just gets on with the job.

“To be honest, I still come across a lot of men who would prefer me not to be there. And I don’t mind because I understand how it rattles people. I think that’s just their own limitations,” she says. “Some people say building’s a man’s thing. But it’s so weird that we’ve made it manly to hammer a nail into a wall. Anyone can do that.”

The former nurse, who is of Samoan heritage, says gender stereotypes can make it more difficult for women to do their best work, but having more women in the trades will help change this over time.

“There are times when I have to fight my own inner thoughts telling me ‘you’re too weak….you’re just a girl’. It’s those things you grow up hearing; they still come into your mind and they can make you stuff up. It’s counterproductive.”

Nancy McConnell, General Manager Corporate Affairs for Hawkins Group, says there is still a perception that success in the trades is dependent on physical strength, but this is no longer true.

“In the past, heavy machinery really was heavy machinery, but that’s not the case today. Many women make incredible operators and tradespeople. They tend to look after their tools and machinery, and all the women we have out there on construction and infrastructure projects, they just love it.”

She says the employers she has spoken to applaud women coming into the industry.

“They love the diversity of thought that women bring, whether it’s a site environment or an office environment. We all have to respect there are a lot of similarities in thought processes between men and women, but we all think differently, and actually I think many women do think slightly differently to men. And that diversity is incredibly healthy for a workplace.”

While different women have different strengths, many excel in the key traits employers are looking for, says Nancy.

“Construction has traditionally been described as a tough environment, but I’d actually describe it as a team environment. Good, strong communication skills are so important. It’s about being part of a team and being able to express why you think doing things in a different way would make a lot of sense,” she says.

“Whether you’re male or female, the most important thing is your enthusiasm and passion for wanting to get into a trade.”

ENDS

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