NECA’s Women-in-Power program, designed specifically to remove industry barriers and address the fact that just 8% of licensed electricians are females, has been a success and some the graduates are making their way through their apprenticeships.

The Program provides female high school students and school leavers seeking a career in the electrical industry with the skills and knowledge required to secure an apprenticeship.

NECA hosts a variety of workshops, pre-apprenticeship programs (such as the Women-in-Power Program) and educational seminars to encourage young women to join the electrical industry and tip the workforce scale to balance.

In the final year of her electrical apprenticeship with NECA, Tiana Cameron is just one of many young women who have joined the industry through NECA’s Women-in-Power program: “It’s important to realise that, in a male-dominated industry, you can actually do everything and do it well. It’s not as scary as you think it’s going to be. NECA’s Women-in-Power program was brilliant.”

NECA project manager Michelle Ellis says NECA is excited and proud to be supporting more women, like these skilled Apprentices, to enter the electrical trades: “We commend the ACT Government’s $1 million recent commitment to the Understanding Building and Construction Program for early learning about the construction industry in schools. Being piloted with four ACT high schools, students in years 7-10 will learn about the building and construction industry.

“We support innovative programs that assist in addressing gender imbalance in the Construction industry, and, like our Women-in-Power program, encourage young women to realise a vocational pathway into the industry.”