By Jonty Ralphsmith
Chisholm Institute, Dandenong is offering a four week program for women aspiring for a career in the automotive industry.
Partnering with the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC), the training will be delivered on an ongoing basis to remove barriers for women in the male-dominated industry.
A study published in 2021 by the workplace gender equality agency revealed women make up just 20 per cent of the automotive sector’s workforce, verifying a gap that Chisholm and VACC had identified.
It is hoped the program will increase women’s confidence in partaking with the traineeships providing lived experience.
“There is a huge demand for skilled workers across the automotive industry, and we hope this program will attract interest from women who may have always considered an automotive career but were usure what area they’re most interested in or where to start,” said David Adams, manager of automotive at Chisholm Institute.
“To expose students to a range of careers across the sector, industry placements will take place throughout the program at several businesses that specialise in different automotive areas, in addition to hands-on training at Chisholm Institute.
“We hope this course will empower students to make an informed decision around whether they will continue to pursue a career within the automotive industry,” Mr Adams added.
This new program is an initiative of the Victorian Department of Education and Training and is sponsored by the Apprenticeship Innovation Fund, which supports innovative projects that encourage more women into apprenticeships.
There are hopes the program will expand to other locations but Dandenong was chosen as the initial location due to a good existing automotive program.
