If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.
That simple truth sits at the heart of Together We RISE,a national initiative funded through the Building Women’s Careers program by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).
OUR STORY
The Building Women’s Careers program marks a new chapter in how Australia supports women in trades.
It brings together the people and organisations capable of reshaping not just access to opportunity, but the culture that surrounds it. The program recognises that progress grows stronger when knowledge, empathy and action move side by side.
Together We RISE was created on that foundation. Its purpose is to show how change takes root when partnerships work in step: when industry, education, government and advocacy build together, rather than apart.
Our Vision
A national apprenticeship system where women feel safe, supported, and seen. Where their presence isn’t the exception, but the expectation – and where their contributions drive innovation and excellence across Australian trades.
Our Mission
To drive structural and cultural change across Australia’s apprenticeship system through three interconnected pillars: evidence-based insight, genuine connection, and inclusive capability building. We’re creating lasting change by putting women’s voices at the centre and equipping leaders with the tools to listen and act.
The Power of Partnership
The Site Supervisor
NAEN leads Pillar Two: Connection & Community, bringing together people, programs and priorities across Australia
As the national peak for Group Training Organisations, NAEN connects the system — ensuring voices from every level of the apprenticeship network are heard and valued. Through RISE & Shine, Australia’s first national women’s apprenticeship network, NAEN is building community, mentorship and shared learning for women on the tools, while strengthening the capacity of GTOs to support them.
The Surveyor
WAVE leads Pillar One: Foundations & Frameworks, uncovering the hidden structures that shape women’s experiences in trades.
They bring deep gender expertise and research insight to the project, guiding the Gender Impact Assessments and Gender Equality Action Plans that help partners see clearly and act decisively. WAVE ensures the program is grounded in evidence, not assumption — diagnosing what’s beneath the surface so change is built to last.
The Skills Architect
KI leads Pillar Three: Capability & Culture alongside the AWU.
They translate strategy into skill, designing leadership programs and field officer training that help shift behaviour and embed inclusion at every level. KI ensures learning is practical, evidence-based and informed by lived experience — transforming insights from the Gender Equality Action Plan into tools that empower people to act.
The Leading Hand
Also leading Pillar Three, the AWU brings the worker’s voice to the heart of RISE.
They take change where it matters most — to the site. Through advocacy and the Gender Workplace Support Program, the AWU drives cultural reform and employer engagement, ensuring every initiative translates into safer, fairer workplaces for women in trades. They make sure no one is left behind as the industry evolves.
Together, these partners form the RISE engine room — each one vital, each one connected.
WAVE lays the foundations
— revealing the insights that guide lasting change.
NAEN connects the system
KI grows capability
— turning learning into confident, inclusive leadership.
AWU drives change on site
— ensuring progress is real, practical and enduring.
Built to Last
Our collaboration will extend far beyond 2028.
It’s a commitment built on trust, learning and shared ambition — one that endures because it matters.
Real progress for women in trades takes time, consistency and community. It takes the strength of partnership and the belief that when women have every opportunity to thrive, the entire industry moves forward.
Together We RISE is a shared journey toward a future where every woman belongs, contributes and leads and where every GTO has the tools to help make that possible.
For GTOs & Host Employers
