A recent article I read shares the same passion and urgency that my team and I have. In this article they speak about tradeswomen overcoming obstacles in the trades industries and the need for an increase in the number of female tradies across Australia. I found the numbers quite shocking, with 5,500 women in Australia working a trade, that is a 2% female participation rate in trades like automotive, construction and electro-technology. Something else that was also worrying was the decline in apprentices from 2011 to 2016, dropping 17%. This article has some great information for young women who are interested in pursuing a trade, and can connect them to the right organisations to study and train as an apprentice in their desired field. There are some government organisations that are trying to increase the female participation rate also, but quite frankly are not doing enough. It is up to all of us, the businesses owners and tradies, to employ the next generation and give the young women of Australia the help and support they need to pursue a career in these industries.