Girls shatter glass ceiling with TAFE trade courses

For seven day-long sessions, the high-school girls will learn and try a wide range of different trades and skills, from construction and metalwork to mechanics and plumbing, proving that they can hold their own in traditionally male industries.

The program kicked off on May 8 with construction, and the girls took to it with plenty of enthusiasm and excitement to get hands-on and prove that they were just as capable with power tools as anyone else.

Jemma Lynch, Nancy Tietie and Lisa Strachan are just three of the young women looking at potential careers in trade and were keen to try a bit of everything.

"I can't wait for welding, it's good to have a lot of options ... things are never set in stone, things can change," said Miss Lynch, who was tossing up between pursuing a career in teaching or trade - but wanted to have some trade skills in her back pocket no matter what.

Miss Tietie said that it was good to have the course giving them the self-confidence to push back against traditional gender roles and sexism.

"It gives you that confidence in what you're doing. You don't have to be a boy to do these so-called masculine activities," she said.

"The future can expand, we can break that gender inequality. The more we get involved and do these kinds of roles, the more it will change."

She added that she was keen to share her skills with others when the course was over, helping more young women get into trade jobs.

Miss Strachan said she was keen to get into the working world as soon as she could, and was hoping to land an apprenticeship as a heavy diesel mechanic - or follow in the family business as a butcher.

"We need more females in trades. There's a lot who are sitting at desks which isn't bad but we need a good mix ... A lot of women want to be out and about but there's pushback and pressure from society," she said.

The young women will be taking on more specialties through the next seven weeks before graduating the program and looking to the future.