The Building Women’s Careers Program is driving systemic structural and cultural change.
About the Building Women’s Careers Program
The Australian Government is investing $60.6 million in the Building Women’s Careers (BWC) Program to drive systemic structural and cultural change in training and work environments critical to a Future Made in Australia.
The BWC Program will fund both large-scale partnership projects, and smaller, place-based partnerships, to advance structural and cultural change to improve women’s access to flexible, safe and inclusive training and work opportunities in the key male-dominated industries and sectors of construction, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and digital and technology.
BWC Program Partnership Projects
The Building Women’s Careers Program is bringing together industry, employers, registered unions, training organisations and the community to deliver a suite of projects ranging from allyship programs that encourage industry-wide male advocacy for women, to rolling out flexible, national workplace policies benefiting all employees.
The BWC Program includes $54.5 million delivered through grant funding for these partnership projects.
Stream One Industry-led Partnership Projects
| Industry | Project Name | Lead Organisation | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy, Construction, Digital and Technology | Breaking Barriers: Women in Trades and Tech | Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union | National |
| Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy, Construction | Driving Gender Equity: Strengthening GTOs to Build Women's Careers | National Apprentice Employment Network | National |
| Clean Energy | Transforming Gender Equity in Clean Energy Apprenticeships | Future Energy Skills Ltd | VIC, TAS |
| Clean Energy, Construction | Big Sister: Advanced Mentoring SA/WA | Electrical Trades Union | WA, SA |
| Construction | Allyship in Action: Transforming Culture to Attract and Retain Women | National Association of Women in Construction | National |
| Construction, Clean Energy | Building Futures: Breaking the Barriers for Women in the Plumbing Industry | Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) | VIC, QLD, NSW |
| Construction | Give Her a Chance | Master Builders Australia Limited | National |
| Construction | Women in Construction | Incolink | NSW, VIC, TAS, SA |
| Digital and Technology | Cyber5050 – Breaking Barriers for Gender Equality in Cyber Security | CyberCX Pty Ltd | National |
| Digital and Technology, Advanced Manufacturing | FemTech - Building Women’s Careers as Digital & Tech Professionals | The Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia (Professionals Australia) | VIC, QLD, NSW |
Stream Two community-led Partnership Projects
| Industry | Project name | Lead Organisation | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | Building Women: Breaking Barriers for a Diverse SA Construction Workforce | Building Women Ltd | SA |
| Digital and Technology | STEMpower CyberThrive: Rewriting the rules in male-dominated tech | Women In Technology WA (Inc.) | WA |
| Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy, Construction, Digital and Technology | EmpowerHer Pathways: See what you can be | Network for Educational Workplacements | NSW, Hunter Region |
| Advanced Manufacturing | ManufactHER; Empowering Women, Transforming Advanced Manufacturing | Central Coast Group Training Limited | NSW, Central Coast Region |
| Clean Energy | Gippsland Women’s Fellowship Project: building women’s clean energy careers | Tradeswomen Australia Foundation Ltd | VIC, Gippsland Region |
| Construction | Indigenous women in construction across Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. | Mimal Land Management Aboriginal Corporation | NT, QLD, Darwin and Alice Springs, Gladstone Region |
| Construction, Clean Energy, Advanced Manufacturing, Digital and Technology | Rise & Build: Empowering Women's Careers | Griffith Skills Training Centre (GSTC) | NSW, Riverina Murray Region |
| Construction, Clean Energy | Great South Coast Construction Careers for Women Program | South West TAFE | VIC, South-West Coast Region |
| Construction | SeeHER | Master Builders' Association of Tasmania Inc. | TAS |
| Digital and Technology | The Next Wave: Women’s Tech Transitions | Technology Council of Australia Limited | NSW, ACT |
BWC Partnership Projects
Future Made in Australia - Building Women's Careers Program
Watch a short video regarding Future Made in Australia - Building Women's Careers Program
Women in Male-Dominated Trades Grants Program
Funding from the Women in Male-Dominated Trades Grants Program has been reallocated to the BWC Program.
This brings clear benefits, given the synergies between the 2 programs and the overall increase in funding now available through the BWC Program.
Government priorities and programs
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations consulted with stakeholders in July and August 2024 to inform the design of the guidelines to implement the program, which complements other government priorities and programs, including:
- National Skills Agreement
- Australian Skills Guarantee
- Employment White Paper
- Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce Report
- Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality
More information
- Building women’s careers and Australia’s future through community-driven projects - Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher and the Hon Andrew Giles MP – 12 March 2025
- Albanese Government investing in women to build Australia’s future – Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher and the Hon Andrew Giles MP – 3 March 2025
- Driving structural and cultural change to build women’s careers – Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher and the Hon Andrew Giles MP – 28 October 2024
- Investing in skills and training to support a Future Made in Australia – The Hon Brendan O'Connor MP - Media Release 14 May 2024.
- A Budget that works for women – Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher – Media Release 14 May 2024.