Community

Women in Trades

The trades are for everyone

At Te Pūkenga, we believe a career in the trades is open to anyone – regardless of gender, ethnicity, or any other criteria. Female participation in the trades remains low, but there is plenty of potential. For example, females make up half of the population, but only 2% of electrical apprentices are female. Clearly there is room for improvement in many of our sectors. With more women working in the trades, we can add more skills, perspective, and diversity into the workforce – a win-win for everyone involved.

How does Te Pūkenga help you?

Te Pūkenga plays an active role in encouraging more women to enter the trades. Some of the initiatives we have run include get-togethers for women from various trades to meet and connect with each other. Our female ambassadors regularly visit schools and speak at events to share their experiences.

Te Pūkenga also works with other ITOs and industry partners to promote careers for women in trades and to promote their success. Having the same goal means we can share our resources and energy to create outcomes that benefit the whole industry.