About - Women Onsite

About Women Onsite

The Women Onsite project is a program of the Victorian Trades Hall Council funded by the Victorian Government. The mission of the Women Onsite project is a straightforward one: to promote Manufacturing and Clean Energy jobs and trades to women. This includes relevant apprenticeships and traineeships and tickets in metal work like forklift driving, welding or solar panel construction.

We have worked with our partners in construction and auto over years to increase the number of women entering those trades but now we are changing our focus to manufacturing and clean energy. There is work to be done in promoting and normalising women training and being employed in these industries. We will continue to directly support women to remove barriers like buying tools or PPE, paying for courses, delivering job readiness, and helping employers create safe respectful workplaces. We will also be organising Try a Trade days in Manufacturing and Clean Energy in regional Victoria where there is a skills shortage with jobs waiting!

Our goal is to work with women and industries to increase women’s knowledge and create opportunities. We focus on what works, and we take an evidence-based approach to the task in consultation with tradies, employers, academics, and government.

We update our social media regularly so follow us on Instagram and Facebook and stay up to date on events and come along to an info session or Try day.

The Women Onsite project is an initiative of the Victorian Government, based at Victorian Trades Hall Council. As a central point between unions, employers, policy, and industry, we are uniquely positioned to drive positive change for Victorian women in the manufacturing and clean energy spheres. If you are interested in trades in construction, wood trades or auto please see the resources page for links and contacts in those industries.

We are now taking expressions of interest from those who want to be a part of the change....

Are you a women interested in knowing more about jobs in Manufacturing and Clean Energy and how we can help?

Are you an employer with jobs in manufacturing that need skilled women?

The Women Onsite project is an initiative of the Victorian Government, based at Victorian Trades Hall Council. As a central point between unions, employers, policy and industry, we are uniquely positioned to drive positive change for Victorian tradeswomen.

Meet the Team

The Women Onsite team are passionate about supporting women of all ages and from all walks of life into the apprenticeships or traineeships they strive for. Each of us brings a unique background to Women Onsite, and a strong drive to contribute to positive change in this area.

We look forward to working with you.

Anj Hansen
Project Organiser

E: ahansen@vthc.org.au

Anj is a carpenter by trade and teaches furniture making and carpentry workshops outside of Women Onsite . She has worked as a tradie for the past 6 years and prior to that worked in education and family violence. Her role with Women Onsite is as an organiser working with Victorian women looking to start careers in the male dominated industries. She is passionate about upcycling and DIY and is excited to get more folks on the tools.

Kylie Philippe
Safety & Rights Trainer

E: kphilippe@vthc.org.au

Kylie runs our Safe and Respectful Workplaces Training for worker, union, and employer groups; and was involved in the development of the new WorkSafe-approved HSR Refresher course on Work-Related Gendered Violence. She has also developed VTHC’s training in Psychosocial Hazards and Covid-Safety in the Workplace. Kylie has a background in safety (with a human factors approach), training, worker rights and ethics, having worked in the aviation and tertiary education sectors. Kylie has a Master of Arts (Philosophy), a Graduate Certificate of Technology (Aviation Human Factors) and Cert IV TAE40116. Kylie is available to work with TAFES, employers, apprentices, and trade students who want to understand responsibilities in creating safe and respectful workplaces.

Wil Stracke
Assistant Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council

E: wstracke@vthc.org.au

Wil is the Assistant Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council and the elected official responsible for the Women Onsite project. She was previously an Associate Solicitor at Slater & Gordon before commencing as an organiser with the Australian Services Union. At the ASU, Wil worked with members on workplace and industry wide industrial campaigns. In 2013, Wil moved to the VTHC to coordinate movement wide industrial, political and social justice campaigns. In 2017 Wil coordinated the Victorian arm of the ‘Yes’ campaign for the marriage equality postal survey. In 2014 Wil was elected as VTHC Assistant Secretary. In this capacity, Wil sits on various government taskforces including the Equal Workplaces Advisory Council, the Building Industry Council – Women in Construction Committee and the Ministerial Taskforce on Workplace Sexual Harassment.