INTERVIEW: Meet the figure championing women to become tradies in a male-dominated environment

Jo smiles as she stands on a construction site.

Jo Farrell is founder of not-for-profit Build Like A Girl. Source: Supplied

Amid a labour shortage in the sectors like the construction industry, there has been a call to support the recruitment and retention of female tradies. SBS speaks to Jo Farrell, the founder of not-for-profit Build Like A Girl.


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For more than three decades, males have accounted for virtually all workers employed as tradies - including in sectors like construction, manufacturing, and automotive.

That means female tradies still make up less than three per cent of those workers.

In an environment where skills shortages have become more acute, advocates say more recruitment and retention of female workers needs to be a focus.

Jo Farrell is founder of not-for-profit Build Like A Girl and was awarded ACT Woman of the Year for her work championing young women to pursue a career in construction.

She spoke to Catriona Stirrat in this Weekend One on One episode about what her organisation does to inspire women to pursue trades - and the ongoing challenges confronting women and non-binary people in the industry.

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