Highlighting National Apprentice Week

Apprentices are the lifeblood of our industry – a way for the stalwarts of our industry to pass their knowledge down to the next generation of plumbers, landscapers and construction workers.

This week was National Apprentice Week, where the work of these professionals is highlighted and celebrated, as they begin their journey into our industry and learn at the hands of their more experienced counterparts. We spoke with first year apprentice Brooke Zeniou, who is on the first steps of her journey into a career in the trades.

Brooke was already familiar with the industry, having taken up a role in traffic management before she decided to take the next step in advancing her career. Torn between the abundance of career paths ahead of her, Brooke’s journey found her on the Incolink jobs board, where a series of postings by our Women in Construction team caught her attention.

For Nina D’Angelo, Victorian Women in Construction Career Advisor, Brooke was immediately a standout candidate to upskill in the construction industry in a trade apprenticeship. “Brooke was clearly so passionate and excited about developing her skills, we explored suitable trade and an opportunity was available,” said Nina.

Brooke’s experience is one that many hopeful apprentices share – a desire to break into the industry, without necessarily knowing where their true passions in the field lie.

After a number of interviews, which were used to determine not only Brooke’s skillset and aptitude, but finding a path that was right for her, an opportunity presented itself through Sheforce. A registered Group Training organisation, Sheforce employed Brooke as a landscape apprentice and hosted her with Landscape Plus, the perfect combination of her aptitude for hard work, creativity and her desire to work outdoors.

Sheforce, a social enterprise creating career pathways for women of all ages into the industry supporting its partners with recruitment, labour hire and GTO services. They provide additional coaching, mentoring and placement, just as Incolink’s Women in Construction program does.

Sally Caruana, CEO of Sheforce, said Brooke embodies exactly what the organisation aims to achieve. “Seeing a young woman grow her skills and achieve a qualification in a hands‑on, real‑world environment - that’s the heart of what we do.

Just weeks into her position, it is clear from Brooke’s demeanour that this is the place she’s supposed to be.

“I was wanting to upskill following my time in traffic management and now… here I am,” said Brooke. “The Women in Construction program was insanely helpful, they helped me explore a lot of options and pathways and narrow down where I wanted to go.”

“Being an apprentice, I have the opportunity to learn off people with a lot of different experiences, I find that really valuable,” said Brooke.

To get more information on how your workplace can help place women into an apprenticeship within the industry, contact our Women in Construction team at https://womeninconstruction.com.au/contact/