Applying a gender impact assessment to a gender equality strategy for Certificate lll in Construction

• The construction industry gender pay gap in 2022 was 29%, which has become more significant since 2015 (WGEA 2022).
• In this sector, roles of women are more often classified as community and personal service work, while men are more often managers, CEOs, labourers, and other trade professionals (WGEA 2022).
• Biases and stereotypes are introduced and perpetuated through education and training systems, as graduates often enter fields “dominated by their own gender” (SFPARC 2017).
• Gender segregation in VET courses is less about addressing the choices made by young people in school about their future, than addressing wider cultural norms (Charles & Bradley 2009).
• There is resistance to creating gender equitable change in the sector, and employers often fail to reflect on their own contribution to the low participation of women in the industry (Francis et al. 2021).
• Equity policies in the sector have been subject to debate and “inaction” across Australia for the last 30 years (Butler & Ferrier 2023).
• Australia continues to be in the bottom third of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries when it comes to its VET sector (Chzhen et al 2019).

From the research, the team found that women often face systemic and structural barriers preventing equitable participation in the industry:

• Industry-specific skills can be biased against women due to the disruptions and discriminations that women face across their lifetime (Estévez-Abe 2007).
• Gendered responsibility for care, needing to access childcare, and limited part time/flexible work options creates barriers for women’s participation (SFPARC 2017).
• Gendered expectations, stereotypes and stigma are stronger against women than men (Buchmann and Charles 1995), and these stereotypes and unconscious bias facilitate gender segregation (SFPARC 2017).

The team also find that gendered stereotypes and biases regarding the construction industry further inhibit women’s participation in the sector:

• The construction trade is considered “masculine,” and young women often feel intimidated in male-dominated courses, so women are less likely to consider a career in this field (Bridges et al. 2018).
• There is evidence of a sexist industry culture, so increasing knowledge and promoting cultural change actively supports the employment journey of women (Francis et al. 2021; Holdsworth et al. 2020; Shewring 2009).

The research also highlighted the concerning reality of women’s safety in male dominated industries:

• Women face a greater psychosocial risk in these industries, shown by inquiries and evidence of sexual harassment, assault, discrimination and isolation (Holdsworth et al. 2020).
• Women are disproportionately affected by sexual harassment and assault on campuses, and 92% of women students are harassed by men (Heywood et al. 2022).
• Workplace sexual harassment and bullying prevents women from completing apprenticeships and raises concerns about safety in the sector (SFPARC 2017).
• Women tend to discontinue education in this sector due to “personal reasons” more than other options and more than men. This appears to be driven by gender stereotypes, care burden, and concerns about safety and wellbeing (NCVER 2022).

The research found some important points on men’s experiences in these fields, which contrast significantly to the experiences of women:

• More men enrolled in VET heavily contributes to male dominated industries, however, this is not a trend shared for women (Smyth & Steinmetz 2008).
• Negative gender stereotypes in men drive hypermasculinity. Men’s adherence to these stereotypes is a high indicator of violence against themselves and others, risk-taking behaviour, and depression (The Men’s Project & Flood 2020).
• Those who discontinued their training because they ‘believed they learned the skills needed for a job’ were usually men, without disability, who were non-indigenous, and born in English-speaking countries (DPMC 2019; Feiger 2015; NCVER 2022).

The team first noticed that the research and evidence on equality in construction reinforces a binary interpretation of gender, often using sex-based language of 'male' and 'female' rather than gender-based language. 

They did not find vast amounts of research on the experiences of gender-diverse people. They flag this section for further exploration in the future, when more data may be available.

• Gender-diverse and transgender people, along with women, were disproportionately affected by sexual harassment and assault on university campuses (Heywood et al. 2022).

The team also found that people with intersecting attributes were significantly more likely to be impacted by inequalities in the sector. Most of this information was from third-party reporting and research, noting a gap in their internal data regarding intersectionality.

• Disproportionately, young people experience harassment at rates higher than the total population, leaving young women and gender-diverse apprentices at an increased risk of mistreatment (AHRC 2022).

Beada also analysed data from VocStats (NCVER 2022) relating to students discontinuing training. She found:

• Slightly higher proportions of women with a disability and First Nations women selected 'personal reasons' for discontinuing their training.
• Women with a disability, First Nations men and women, and women born in non-English speaking countries were more likely to discontinue training for reasons relating to unmet expectations, issues with inflexibility and personal reasons.
• Non-minority men did not tend to have an issue with the training being inflexible or having problems with work placement.

• AHRC (Australian Human Rights Commission) (2022) Time for Respect, AHRC, accessed 15 April 2023.
• Buchmann M and Charles M (1995) ‘Organizational and Institutional Factors in the Process of Gender Stratification: Comparing Social Arrangements in Six European Countries’, International Journal of Sociology, 25(2):66-95.
• Butler E and Ferrier F (2023) A fair go for all? Equity frameworks and landmark documents in Australian vocational education and training, NCVER VET Knowledge Bank, accessed 16 April 2023.
• Charles M and Bradley K (2009) ‘Indulging Our Gendered Selves? Sex Segregation by Field of Study in 44 Countries’, The Americal Journal of Sociology, 114(4), 924-76.
• Chzhen Y, Gromada A, Rees G, Cuesta J, Bruckauf Z (2019) An Unfair Start, UNICEF, accessed 15 April 2023.
• DPMC (Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet) (2019) Strengthening Skills: Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, accessed 17 April 2023.
• Estévez-Abe M (2005) ‘Gender Bias in Skills and Social Policies: The Varieties of Capitalism Perspective on Sex Segregation’, Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, 12(2):180-215. Pages 180–215.
• Francis V, Chugh R, Yang W, Tivendale L and Cunningham E (2021) The Evaluation of the Victorian Women in Construction Strategy Program, The Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne, accessed 13 April 2023.
• Heywood W, Myers P, Powell A, Meikle G and Nguyen D (2022). National Student Safety Survey: Report on the prevalence of sexual harassment and sexual assault among university students in 2021, Melbourne: The Social Research Centre.
• Holdsworth S, Turner M, Scott-Young C and Sandri K (2020) Women in Construction: Exploring the Barriers and Supportive Enablers of Wellbeing in the Workplace, Melbourne: RMIT University.
• Jobs and Skills Australia (2023) Submission to the House of Representatives Education and Employment Committee Inquiry into the Perceptions and Status of Voctational Education and Training, Canberra: Australian Parliament House, accessed 26 April 2023.
• NCVER (2022) VOCSTATS: Research and Statistics, NCVER, accessed 13 April 2023.
• Our Watch (2021) Respect and Equality in TAFE: Building a TAFE environment that promotes gender equality and respect (Victorian Guide), Our Watch, accessed 24 April 2023.
• Shewring F (2009) The female “tradie”: challenging employment perceptions in non-traditional trades for women, NCVER, accessed 16 April 2023.
• Smyth E and Steinmetz S (2008) ‘Field of study and gender segregation in European labor markets’, International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 49(4-5):257-281.
• The Men's Project and Flood M (2020) Unpacking the Man Box: What is the impact of the Man Box attitudes on young Australian men’s behaviours and wellbeing? Melbourne: Jesuit Social Services, accessed 13 April 2023.
• SFPARC (Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee) (2017) Gender segregation in the workplace and its impact on women's economic equality, Canberra: Australian Parliament House, accessed 17 April 2023.
• Victorian Skills Authority (2023) Employment Forecast Dashboard: Industry Dashboard for Construction, Victorian Skills Authority, accessed 13 April 2023.
• Workplace Gender Equality Agency (2022) 2022 Scorecard: The state of gender equality in Australia, Workplace Gender Equality Agency, accessed 11 April 2023.

The first option involves applying existing models and practices to help recruit more women and gender-diverse people in construction pre-apprenticeship. The team believe this will help reduce the gender segregation seen within the course. 

This option includes:

• providing mentoring programs for women and gender-diverse people enrolling in pre-apprenticeships
• partnering with key organisations to promote the education and training pathways to schools. This includes NAWIC or Tradeswomen Australia Group with Australian Apprenticeship Centres
• holding parent information evenings to teach parents about the benefits of supporting their daughters and gender-diverse children as they go into trade pathways
• working with the local industry to update them on the work and activities underpinning this option
• creating and developing value-based messaging and marketing that promotes intersectional gender equity.

This option would require some of the budget to: 

• fund deliberate outreach programs to the parents and community to promote pre-apprenticeship pathways
• resources to support productive and positive partnerships
• develop new products and marketing collateral that promote intersectional gender equity.

Gendered benefits of option 1

• It considers the systemic issues causing segregation in this course and intends to promote gender equality through established methods.
• Educating parents and employers about gender equality in the sector should reduce gendered stereotypes and improve opportunities for women and gender-diverse people.

Gendered risks of option 1

• This option does not fully address workplace safety for women and gender-diverse apprentices.
• It provides little opportunity for the TAFE to influence gendered safety on the worksite.
• Research shows this approach may not properly address cultural barriers to women working in male-dominated spaces, noting the reviews of women in construction programs from Victoria (Holdsworth et al. 2020).

Overall impact

• This option does not fully encourage changes to promote gender equality in the industry.
• Although it encourages active participation by women and gender-diverse people, the option does not protect apprentices once enrolled.
• Since it does not address systemic issues of safety, the team rate the overall gender impact of option 1 as negative.

For the second option, the team want to focus on promoting transformational gender equality. They also want to use the RET framework’s 5 domains to deliver a strategy featuring transformative change for women and gender-diverse people in Certificate III in Construction. To do so, they will work closely with the community and the industry. This option includes:

Workplace initiatives

• Build understanding of gender equity across the department, with support from leadership.
• Partner with local Australian Apprenticeship Support organisations and industry leadership to review the overarching apprenticeship pathways for women gender-diverse people.
• Work with the local Australian Apprenticeship Support organisations on a strategy to support disclosures of sexism, harassment and assault.
• Develop appropriate referral pathways for sexism, harassment and assault within the course.

Student initiatives

• Provide mentoring programs for women and gender-diverse people enrolling in pre-apprenticeships.
• Partner with key organisations to promote the education and training pathways to schools, such as NAWIC or Tradeswomen Australia Group.
• Hold parent information evenings to teach parents about the benefits of supporting their daughters and gender-diverse children in trade pathways.
• Work with local Apprenticeship Centres to ensure enrolment processes are informed on gender equitable practices.
• Introduce learning sessions on equality and respect into student induction processes, specifically tailored to gendered experiences in the construction pathway.

Teaching and learning initiatives

• Partner and work with TAFE to review the curriculum design so it addresses any inequality in the program.
• Evaluate and review all learning settings for safety and wellbeing.
• Reduce harassment and discrimination by partnering with local Apprenticeship Support Service providers.
• Train all staff, teachers, students and employers on referral, disclosure and risk assessment practices to help reduce harassment and discrimination.
• Trial and evaluate a construction pre-apprenticeship class exclusively for women and gender-diverse people.
• Build capability of educators to teach classes in a way that embraces gender equitable teaching practices.

Communication initiatives

• Work with student engagement and promotion teams to generate marketing showing gender equitable pathways in construction.
• Communicate and promote the gender equality strategy across the whole TAFE, including the Board.

Industry and community initiatives

• Partner with gender equity specialists to promote an awareness campaign championing the TAFE’s commitment to gender equality.
• Celebrate employers who demonstrate positive approaches to workplace safety and wellbeing.

This option will require more use of the budget and require more support than the other options. However, it does still fit within the budget. It also directly addresses the issues learned by the team while utilising existing partnerships. Most importantly, it is the option that is most in keeping with the Gender Equality Act, as it includes tangible actions that promote gender equality.

Gendered benefits of option 2

• Directly engages with the drivers of gender inequity in the construction skill pathways, using the RET framework’s 5 domains.
• Addresses barriers preventing young women, girls and gender-diverse people becoming apprentices in this course.
• Challenges stigma and stereotypes, which allows TAFE to create a more inclusive environment for women and gender-diverse people.
• Applies preventative measures for harassment and abuse, as well as appropriate referrals and support for victim-survivors.

Gendered risks of option 2

• The option doesn’t address the gap of intersectional data in internal and external resources, but this has been flagged for future action.
• There may be resistance and backlash from current employers of apprentices and employers that TAFE works closely with, however the benefits far outweigh this risk.

Overall impact

• This option is transformative, and addresses some of the key challenges and barriers to equality in the sector and perpetuated by TAFE.
• The team rates the overall gender impact of option 2 as positive.