Want to encourage young people into trades?
The Women Who Weld’ program, developed by QMI Solutions, aims to assist our national trade skills shortage and gender gap issues. The program exposes young people to welding as a gateway to the many job opportunities in the advancing manufacturing sector, where 76% of jobs are currently occupied by men.
We want to encourage more people into trade subjects and pathways to ensure the growth of Queensland’s advancing manufacturing industry as we recognise the industry 4.0 opportunities. As a result, QMI, hosts of the Gateway to Industry Schools Program (GISP) for Manufacturing & Engineering, have created a free ‘Schools Resource Kit’ to enable any school with appropriate welding facilities, to adopt and run the ‘Women Who Weld’ one day program. To implement it, schools need funding to purchase supporting materials (metal laser cutting, gas etc). They need this support from industry.
For every $1,000 contributed, 15 female students will get the opportunity to explore a career pathway in manufacturing.
This is a great opportunity for organisations to shape future workforce’s and demonstrate corporate social responsibility. A certificate of participation will be offered to these industry champions to document their community spirit. The ‘Women Who Weld’ program has already sparked a 20% rise in female interest in trade pathways.
“It’s not a female only program, we just recommend we allow young people the safe space to empower them, in a one day program, to experience the joy of manufacturing something’ said Jules McMurtrie, Program Manager. “A lot of young people and their parents don’t understand just how many great things are manufactured here in Queensland and indeed Australia and how we’re reshoring everyday”.
To help a school run the ‘Women Who Weld’ program, simply complete this online form.
Funding will be administered by *QMI Solutions and can be offered to any GISP manufacturing and engineering school or region of your choice.
We thank all our industry partners in advance for their contributions. To assist us administer funding effectively, we ask for all contributions to be submitted by 30 November 2019. For further information please email reception@qmisolutions.com.au.
Please note: QMI Solutions is an industry led not for profit (NFP) company limited by guarantee with a board of practitioner manufacturers. We’re working together to recognise the Industry 4.0 global opportunities by making new possible.
The free WWW Schools resource kit was developed by the Gateway Hub for Agricultural Manufacturing & Engineering based at Dalby State High School. We thank all parties in the collaboration to make this case study a success including Arrow Energy & surrounding Surat Basin schools.
The Gateway to Industry Schools Program is an initiative funded and supported by the Queensland Government.