Trades – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

June 30, 2024

Engineered stone is now banned. But how safe are the alternatives?

Renee Carey, Curtin University and Chandnee Ramkissoon, University of Adelaide

Here are some options and what they mean for the health of tradies who cut and install them.

Students are being urged to enter the skilled trades as the industry faces labour shortages. (Shutterstock)

September 26, 2022

Canada needs to encourage more youths to pursue skilled trade jobs

Mojan Naisani Samani, McMaster University and Rick Hackett, McMaster University

Canada is facing a critical shortage of skilled tradespeople, only doomed to get worse with retirement rates. Our only hope is to attract more workers before it’s too late.

February 23, 2022

‘I would not be respected’: senior school girls told us why they weren’t interested in a construction career

Natalie Galea, The University of Melbourne and Phillippa Carnemolla, University of Technology Sydney

Construction is one of Australia’s fastest growing industries and offers higher than average wages. It is also Australia’s most male dominated industry.

July 15, 2020

Government announces $2.5 billion package to support training and apprenticeships

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

The government has announced $2 billion in support of a package to boost training and job creation

Patternmaker Paul Kay is now used to the idea of working by himself. Jesse Stein

December 6, 2018

Don’t be too quick to dismiss ‘dying trades’, those skills are still in demand

Jesse Adams Stein, University of Technology Sydney

The skills shortage in the foundry sector shows there is a continuing demand for “traditional” trades.

Women make up just 1% of the workforce in the construction, engineering and automotive trades in Australia. Shutterstock

May 31, 2018

The female tradie shortage: why real change requires a major cultural shift

Donna Bridges, Charles Sturt University; Branka Krivokapic-Skoko, Charles Sturt University; Elizabeth Wulff, Charles Sturt University; Larissa Bamberry, Charles Sturt University, and Stacey Jenkins, Charles Sturt University

Bringing more women into the trades requires challenging social stigmas and improving mentoring programs and workplace culture.

Jacqui Lambie said on Q&A that apprenticeship numbers were going ‘wayside’. Q&A

June 3, 2016

Election FactCheck Q&A: was Jacqui Lambie right about apprenticeships and 457 visas?

Damian Oliver, University of Technology Sydney

Was Jacqui Lambie correct to say apprenticeships are going “wayside” and that there are more than one million 457 work visa holders in Australia?

A lack of female tradies means young women don’t want to pursue a trade career, despite the pay advantage. Shutterstock

January 27, 2015

Where are the female tradies?

Karen Struthers, Griffith University

Male domination of trades and trade courses in the automotive, construction, mining and energy sectors is entrenched above 95%, despite the substantial pay advantage compared to other trades such as hairdressing…

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