00:02Putting meat under the knife.
00:04It's a skill Kirsten Drinkwater is excited to master.
00:08It's pretty hard to do because it's quite heavy,
00:10but once you get the trick of how to lift them and stuff,
00:13it becomes much easier.
00:15The second year apprentice is one of a small,
00:18but growing number of women choosing to work
00:20in the traditionally male-dominated space.
00:2335 started a traineeship in Queensland last year,
00:27up from 20 in 2024.
00:29Although still low and there's definitely room for improvement there,
00:33it is significantly growing.
00:36Apprentices say a culture shift is driving the rise.
00:40I just think it's becoming more accessible for us.
00:43There's a lot less fear, I think, of being discriminated against.
00:48Technology is reducing the physical demands of the trade.
00:51That's partly about trying to keep workers generally safe
00:55and partly about the efficiencies you can get from using technology.
00:58But a lack of facilities can deter some women from staying long term.
01:02The work outfits, the PPE, the uniforms that actually fit women's pregnant bodies,
01:07or they don't have a number of the other facilities that you might need when you're a woman.
01:13Industry representatives say more funding is needed to keep women in the sector.
01:17But Queensland Trade Minister Ross Bates says the state government already backs initiatives aimed at doing just that.
01:25For Kirsten, she's looking forward to a long and successful career.
01:28I think women are just becoming a bit more independent and able to decide what they want to do for
01:35their futures.
01:36You know how much more everyone is in the sector?
01:40You know all that you need to look forward to doing,
01:41right?
01:41It's a little bit.
01:41Let's say that it has been a high school issue.
01:42As you know, people who have spent two years of all these buildings on the same project,
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