As you’ll learn more and more as you progress through your career and life, understanding your ‘why’ (your purpose), is a fundamental part of deciding the right direction for you. Here’s our ‘why’…
Artium exists to help get more women into trades. But more than that, to support them to thrive throughout all stages of their career in trades. From starting out, to advancing their skills and career and inspiring other women along the way (super important!).
Let’s unpack this some more…
Let's talk about these barriers... and then let's smash them
In trades requiring heavy-lifting and physical strength, there’s a common misconception that women can’t do the job because they are not physically strong enough.
The truth is, if physical strength is a factor, there are multiple ways to manage this, including using of tools and equipment designed to lift, shift and twist. In many cases, using of this type of purpose-built equipment will be the safest option for anyone doing the job – not just women!
Another misconception is that women don’t enjoy roles that require them to get their hands dirty. And, sure it’s not for everyone, but gender has nothing to do with it. As for many men, for many women, getting stuck in and hands-on is part of a great day of getting sh*t done.
Since trades have been dominated by men for centuries, they’ve shaped the culture we see in trade-based workplaces today. With women making up only 3% of the tradie workforce, there’s been little opportunity for women to shift this culture.
Many tradies have literally never worked with a female tradie before. So, if they’ve never seen it done by a woman before, they might just assume that’s because a woman can’t / doesn’t want to do it.
Obviously this is nuts, but it often means that while men are assumed to be capable of working in a trade, women may be assumed to be less than capable and must prove themselves.
This is one of the biggest barriers out there. We’re going to go into this more throughout the Artium program – there are lots of ways you can navigate around this barrier and the most effective is through human skills development.
That's why we exist
To help break down the barriers women face when getting into trades by equipping them with the skills and confidence to excel and thrive in a career in trades.