‘I didn't know I could be a tradie, being a girl': the night that changed everything for Maddison
'I always wanted to do a trade and, it sounds silly, but I didn't know that I could, being a girl,' she said.
In the years after leaving school, she worked at McDonald's, where 'they pay you peanuts and you definitely have to work for it'. She enrolled in a business degree at university before dropping out and taking a job as a manager at Coles. Then, at 25, she had an epiphany.
'One night I was actually scrolling Instagram and I saw a lady carpenter and I went down that rabbit hole and found all these girls online who were in a trade and I was like, 'Wow, I can actually do it'.'
She is now in her third year of a Certificate III to become a qualified electrotech electrician.
The NSW government is planning an overhaul of the state's apprenticeship system in a bid to address the chronic skills shortage and attract more people into trades. There is also an alarmingly high drop-out rate, with figures showing that only half of those who start an apprenticeship finish it.
A review of existing legislation will seek to increase completion rates, and better align training with workforce needs, particularly in high-demand sectors such as construction, tech, care and clean energy. Apprentices, trainees, employers and training providers are being asked to share their experiences of the system in a survey from Thursday.
NSW Skills Minister Steve Whan said the review is about making apprenticeships and traineeships work better for students, employers, and training providers.
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