From music to mechanics, one apprentice’s story highlights why more women should consider a career in the workshop

Research by the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce shows that more than 600 vacancies were advertised in 2024, yet fewer than 250 roles were filled, resulting in a placement rate of just 37 percent.
According to the Mining and Automotive Skills Alliance’s Industry Workforce Plan, one major challenge in filling these positions is the low participation of women in the sector.
Only 14 percent of the workforce is female, and just six percent of current students are women.
One training provider helping to buck that trend is Box Hill Institute (BHI).
This year, the Victorian TAFE has 14 female pre-apprentices and apprentices studying automotive courses, representing nine percent of all automotive students.
Apprentice Rebekka Walker, 25, is taking a Certificate III in Light Automotive. After high school, she completed a music degree at university but soon realised it wasn’t her ideal career.
With a keen interest in vintage cars and curiosity to learn more, she enrolled in a pre-apprenticeship at BHI to try her hand.
“I decided to do a pre-apprenticeship to see if it suited me. It only took me 10 weeks, and I loved it,” Rebekka said.
Ready to take the next step, Rebekka secured an apprenticeship at the Blackburn Kia dealership.
Initially, some team members were sceptical that a woman would have the strength for the more physical aspects of the job.
However, the dealership’s Workshop Controller, Carlo Di Campli, says their concerns were quickly allayed.
“Rebekka has blown us away with her work ethic and ability to learn. She’s running rings around some of the other apprentices,” Carlo said.
While Carlo spotted Rebekka’s potential and welcomed her to the team, he believes more needs to be done to attract women to the industry.
“Being a mechanic these days is less about heavy lifting and more about problem solving,” Carlo said.
“There are a lot of clever women out there who can do it well.”
BHI’s Head of Trades, Stuart Hoxley, agrees.
“The automotive industry is evolving rapidly. Women represent a largely untapped source of skills for the sector, and they easily meet the needs of employers. They have the capability and drive to shape the future of the automotive industry,” Stuart said.

For more from Box Hill Institute, visit www.boxhill.edu.au