News
17 November, 2021
Doing the hard yards while outnumbered in gender stakes
WHILE the issue of gender can be contentious in the workplace, Dayna Brown and Lee-Anne Clancy are enjoying themselves in an industry where they find themselves vastly outnumbered by males.
Forklifts, order pickers, scaffolding, confined spaces and heights are among the work aspects pertaining to these two employees at the Caboolture-based training centre Get Skilled Talented Training Australia.
Dayna spent three years in the industry and then had a two-year break before returning early this year, while Lee-Anne began in the industry less than 12 months ago as she sought a change from hospitality.
Dayna and Lee-Anne are completing a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and have consulted with job seeker agencies to help people find work.
“Forklift is our bread and butter, really,” Lee-Anne said, before referring to other aspects including scaffolding, white cards, first aid, dogging and rigging, confined spaces, working at heights, and elevating work platform (EWP).
Lee-Anne said she loved the fast-paced nature of the work, and the dynamics of it.
“There’s so many industries attached to it,” she said.
“One day you might be talking to someone from a hospital, and the next day you might be at a garden centre, then another day you might be in the mining industry.”
Dayna also alluded to the fast-paced nature, saying there was always something to do and that she loved being a problem solver.
The duo said there were usually no pre-requisites to enter this field of work, while people who completed at least one of the courses often secured jobs making good money.
Dayna and Lee-Anne were at a loss as to why there weren’t more females in their line of work, and they insisted more females would enjoy it if they gave it a go.
“I think a lot of females feel intimidated by the work and it being so male dominated,” Lee-Anne said.
As for how to increase the number of females in their field of work, Dayna said: “That’s the hard thing, to try to figure out what to do.
“I don’t like just sitting behind a desk all day at a computer.”
Lee-Anne emphasised that “working in an industry that is machinery orientated doesn’t have to be aimed at males”.
Even with the ongoing Covid pandemic, Lee-Anne and Dayna said anyone interested could still undertake a course as the workplace was Covid compliant.
