Supporting women apprentices and trainees

In some industries with fewer women, extra challenges can include:

• isolation as the only woman in the workplace
• limited access to networks, job opportunities and mentors
• experiences of sexism, sexual harassment, exclusion or gendered violence
• limited flexibility, making it hard to balance work and caring responsibilities.

Real change happens when employers take the lead with respectful workplaces. This makes teams stronger, helps small business grow and builds a safer and better workforce for Victoria’s future.

Workplaces that support women report benefits including:

• higher staff engagement and morale
• better retention and lower turnover
• a stronger collaboration and teamwork
• a reputation that attracts skilled talent
• higher productivity and business growth
• safer workplaces
• greater resilience to skilled worker shortages.

Federal and Victorian laws place a positive duty on employers to actively prevent sex discrimination and sexual harassment. Responding after harm occurs is not enough.

It is unlawful to:

• discriminate against someone because of their sex
• sexually harass someone
• create a hostile work environment on the grounds of sex.

Serious harm, including gendered violence may also involve workplace health and safety laws or criminal laws.

A hostile work environment means behaviour that makes someone feel and welcome or uncomfortable because of their sex even if it’s not sexual.

A hostile workplace might look like:

• comments or jokes that make women feel they don’t belong
• dismissing women’s input or abilities
• colleagues refusing to work with women.

Comments or behaviour can be unlawful even if they seem minor or unintentional.

Women may also experience discrimination because of other aspects of who they are. Some examples include

• marital status, pregnancy or caring responsibilities
• age, race, religion or disability.

Learn more about the related laws:

• The positive duty in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984.
• Equal Opportunity Act 2010.
• Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025.
• Visit WorkSafe to understand relevant workplace health and safety laws and regulations.
• Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman to understand relevant workplace relations laws.

Learn more about your responsibilities:

• Visit Rights and obligations to learn about your basic employer duties.
• Watch this video to understand What is a hostile workplace?
  

• Consider people of all genders when recruiting and hiring.
• Be a role model and set clear expectations for respectful language and behaviour.
• Act early when issues arise.
• Prevent discrimination, bullying, harassment or gendered violence.
• Handle issues privately and support apprentices to get help when needed.
• Have clear policies to prevent and respond to gender-based harm.
• Ensure equal access to clean, safe toilets and hygiene facilities.
• Provide sanitary disposal in female and all-gender toilets.
• Provide access to required uniforms and PPE that are the right size and fit well.
• Allocate meaningful work that matches training plans.
• Make sure apprentices know their leave entitlements.
• Talk about flexible work options and consider requests fairly, where practical.
• Support pregnancy, breastfeeding and caring responsibilities.
• Help women apprentices connect with other women through work or industry networks, especially if they are the only woman in the team.
• Where possible, ensure a trusted woman in the business is available for support.

You don’t need to do everything at once. Start with practical actions that make the biggest difference in your workplace, then use the guidance below to build on your approach over time.