Federal budget 2023: 99.5 ATAR, but Cate Gaskell builds future as ‘lady tradie’

When Cate Gaskell finished high school last year, the star student enjoyed a smorgasbord of career choices.

Apprentice carpenters Cate Gaskell, 18, right, and Jedd Thompson, 20, at a construction site in Brookfield, Brisbane. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

When Cate Gaskell finished high school last year, the star student enjoyed a smorgasbord of career choices.

With an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank of 99.5, she performed in the top half a per cent of academic achievement, giving her opportunities to study medicine, law or engineering.

Instead, the 18-year-old chose an uncommon career for women, starting work as a first-year apprentice carpenter in Brisbane.

“The trades have lots of opportunities,’’ she said.

“There’s a lot of growth in the future – you could be a builder or a project manager – and I thought it would bring job security, because AI (artificial intelligence) can probably replace some other jobs.

“I like working outside, I like physical work and I like that we’re in a team and not by myself in an office cubicle.’’

Ms Gaskell works with third-year carpentry apprentice Jedd Thompson, 20, who never contemplated an office job.

“I’m not a fan of sitting at a desk all day,’’ he said.

“I enjoy a job that you can do from start to finish, and see what you’ve done.’’

The pair’s employer, Grand Additions, prefers to train its own carpenters from scratch.

“It’s really good to be able to train someone up to specialise in exactly what we do,’’ director Kerry Prichard said.

“Some of the carpenters who come from building new homes, and go into renovations, are not as useful.’’

Trade apprenticeships surged in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the former Coalition government boosted wage subsidies to stop employers laying off their most junior workers.

A record 242,000 apprentices were in training last June, including 70,400 in building trades, 52,000 in electrical trades and 60,000 in automotive and metal trades.

But half of all apprentices are failing to finish their four years of work and study, with pay rates as low as $12 an hour making it hard to keep up with soaring living costs.

While 111,000 apprentices started work last year, 60,300 pulled out of training.

The Albanese government is continuing the subsidies in its budget, but has also funded programs to prevent high dropout rates and to encourage more First Nations workers and “lady tradies’’.

Under the incentive scheme, apprentices and trainees in priority occupations such as the clean-energy sector, gasfitting and carpentry attract wage subsidies of $15,000 for employers and $5000 payments to workers over four years. For other apprenticeships, the hiring incentive is just $3500 for employers.

Master Builders Australia chief executive Denita Wawn estimates that half a million extra workers will need to enter the construction industry by the end of 2026 to meet demand for new housing.

Nearly half of all trade occupations are on the federal government’s skills shortage list, with 4000 jobs advertised for construction managers and 1000 vacancies for carpenters, plumbers and building labourers in February.

National Apprentice Employment Network chief executive Dianne Dayhew said higher wage subsidies would entice employers to take on more apprentices.

“There are some employers who may not participate in apprentice employment when the wages are not as highly subsidised,’’ she said.