06 Nov Reframing the Priority List: Building an Equitable Apprenticeship System for All

Posted at 18:39h in Uncategorized by

Women in Adult and Vocational Education (WAVE) has made a submission to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) review of the Priority List Methodology for Australian Apprenticeships.

Our submission calls for a fundamental shift from a narrow, restrictive “gateway” model to a modern, inclusive apprenticeship system that values all skills, all industries, and all apprentices.

While women comprise almost half of Australia’s workforce, they represent only 28% of apprentices and trainees in training. The proposed focus on a “smaller, more targeted” list risks reinforcing long-standing gender segregation and undervaluation of feminised industries. WAVE argues that this moment presents a powerful opportunity for transformative redesign—one that embeds gender equity and intersectionality at the heart of national workforce planning.

WAVE’s Position

WAVE’s submission proposes that a genuinely equitable apprenticeship system must:

  • Value all skills and industries by recognising the economic and social contribution of care, service, and community sectors, which underpin productivity, workforce participation, and wellbeing.

  • Ensure safe and inclusive learning environments, recognising that financial incentives alone are insufficient if women face exclusion, hostility, or harassment within training pathways.

  • Reframe investment through a universal foundation model, where all high-quality apprenticeships are recognised and supported, with tiered incentives to drive gender equity in male-dominated and feminised sectors alike.

  • Build educator capability so that teachers and trainers across the VET system are equipped with the skills and frameworks to create genuinely inclusive, gender-responsive classrooms.

This framework aligns with WAVE’s long-standing advocacy for systemic change within vocational and adult education—moving beyond “fixing women” approaches and instead addressing the structural and cultural barriers that shape inequitable outcomes.

A Vision for Change

WAVE’s submission highlights that the Australian apprenticeship system is at a crossroads. Financial incentives, when used without attention to culture, quality, and safety, risk entrenching inequities rather than dismantling them.

To build an equitable and future-ready apprenticeship system, the Priority List methodology must move beyond narrow definitions of “value” and “priority” to fully encompass:

  • Holistic measures of value, including social and community contribution.

  • Equitable funding across all apprenticeships, not just those in male-dominated industries.

  • Safety, respect, and inclusion as central policy criteria.

  • Recognition of care work as skilled labour, essential to the functioning of the broader economy.

By centring these principles, Australia can design an apprenticeship system that supports diverse learners, strengthens national productivity, and ensures all forms of skilled work are fairly valued.

Read the Full Submission here.



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