Edition 39, October 2006

Electrotechnology industry switching on to female workers

The electrotechnology industry needs strategies to attract and retain female workers if it is to meet industry growth, according to Frances Regan, project manager for the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA).

Like many other Australian industries, the electrotechnology industry is conscious of impending skills shortages. The number of apprentices entering the industry is not keeping pace with the number of baby boomers expected to leave the workforce in the next 20 years.

Women currently make up a meagre 7 per cent of electrotechnology workers. This drops to only 3 per cent in senior management roles and just 1.3 per cent in executive roles. Women generally earn around 84 cents in the dollar compared to their male counterparts.

'Women are steadily making inroads into other male dominated careers. The number of women studying engineering is rising annually, as is the proportion of women enrolling in vocational education and training, but our industry is not keeping pace,' Ms Regan says.

Reasons include:

  • unappealing industry stereotyping
  • lack of recognition by youth, parents and school careers counsellors of the opportunities afforded by the industry
  • lack of support within the industry for women workers
  • inflexible working arrangements that don�t accommodate family commitments.

Ms Regan says that this means that the industry needs to develop training pathways that reflect the breadth and extent of the industry, and workplaces must welcome and encourage all workers.

'In male dominated industries such as ours women can experience an unwanted paternalism from male colleagues who believe women need to be looked after. But viewing women as different can make it difficult for women to progress in these environments.

'We need to structure our work to enable both men and women to be able to balance work and family life and to value the skills they bring to the workforce.'

To find out more about opportunities in the electrotechnology industry contact the National Electrical and Communications Association on 03 9645 5566 or visit the electrotecfutures website at  www.electrotecfutures.com.au

This page was generated on 26 August, 2009