Women starting a trade apprenticeship often face challenges that go well beyond learning technical skills. Navigating workplace culture, building confidence and balancing work with study can be just as demanding as mastering the job itself.
The new TradeReady Mentoring Program has been developed to provide practical support for women apprentices, with a particular focus on first and second year apprentices where early intervention can have the greatest impact.
Funded by the NSW Government’s Return to Work Pathways Program, TradeReady is free for eligible participants and combines lived experience mentoring with evidence-informed mindset coaching to help women stay connected, resilient and committed to long-term careers in the trades.
Supporting Women to Stay in the Trades
While apprenticeships offer rewarding career opportunities, many women experience barriers including workplace confidence challenges, isolation in predominantly male environments, balancing work and study pressures, resilience and mindset challenges, uncertainty about career progression, and navigating workplace expectations.
TradeReady has been designed to provide support at exactly the point where many women begin to question whether they should continue their apprenticeship.
Practical Mentoring and Personal Development
Each participant receives approximately nine hours of personalised support, including:
- Five hours of industry mentoring with Louise Azzopardi through monthly peer mentoring sessions with other women apprentices
- Four hours of one-to-one Learning for Good™ support delivered by BREED Australia Inc.
Sessions cover practical topics including:
- Peer discussion and shared workplace strategies
- Optional one-to-one mentoring
- Emotional intelligence and confidence building
- Resilience and problem-solving
- Goal setting and career planning
- Workplace navigation strategies.
Mentoring from Someone Who Has Lived the Journey
TradeReady mentor Louise Azzopardi brings first-hand experience as a former heavy vehicle mechanic, WorldSkills Australia representative and life coach for tradeswomen.
Rather than providing theory alone, Louise offers practical guidance based on her own experiences of succeeding in traditionally male-dominated industries. Her mentoring focuses on helping participants build confidence, strengthen resilience and develop the skills needed for long-term career success.
One participant described the impact of the program:
“Louise has been such a game changer for me, especially as a woman in the trades. She really gets the unique challenges we face and has always been there to support and encourage me through them. With her help, I’ve gained confidence, clarity, and a better sense of direction in what can sometimes feel like a tough field to navigate.” – Mia, Qualified Electrician.
Evidence-Based Support
All participants benefit from BREED Australia’s Learning for Good™ framework, an evidence-informed methodology designed to strengthen confidence, emotional regulation, resilience and applied action.
According to BREED Australia, participant outcomes have included:
- 84% improvement in confidence
- 90% improvement in emotional regulation and self-awareness
- 82% improvement in goal clarity and future direction.
The program is delivered using a flexible hybrid model, allowing women apprentices to participate online around work and study commitments while still accessing personalised one-to-one mentoring support.
Find Out More
Women apprentices looking for additional support, or employers interested in encouraging participation, can contact:
Louise Azzopardi
TradeReady Mentor and Lived Experience Expert
Life Coach for Tradeswomen
Phone: 0439 688 610
