Big Sister: Advanced Mentoring SA/WA Rapid Literature Review

Abstract

Women remain significantly underrepresented in Australia’s skilled trades, including the electrical trades. Gendered expectations, limited exposure to trade pathways, and constrained access to relevant information from early schooling reduce women’s confidence and interest in these careers. For those who do enter training or employment, exclusionary workplace cultures, inadequate facilities, limited flexibility, and systemic bias in recruitment and progression contribute to high attrition. Together, these factors sustain women’s low participation in the trades.

This rapid review synthesises academic, government, and industry evidence to inform the design and evaluation of the Big Sister Program, an initiative aimed at increasing women’s access to, retention in, and progression through the electrical trades. Where trade-specific evidence is limited, insights are drawn from research in other male-dominated sectors. The review examines five interrelated areas relevant to program design: school-based pre-vocational initiatives, vocational education and training environments, apprenticeship and worksite experiences, mentoring programs, and collaborative partnerships for workplace change.

Findings suggest that early engagement, visible female role models, inclusive VET systems, structured mentoring, and transparent recruitment processes can improve women’s participation and outcomes. However, few interventions have been rigorously evaluated, particularly within trade-specific contexts. The review highlights the need to address systemic and cultural workplace barriers through partnership-based approaches rather than relying solely on women-focused initiatives. The Big Sister Program is well positioned to generate robust evidence to support sustainable and scalable change across the electrical trades and related sectors.