Helping women into industry

A new collective has been formed to advocate for more women to pursue careers in the automotive industry, with females currently only accounting for 17 per cent of the sector’s workforce.

Women in Automotive New Zealand says it wants to address the under-representation of women in the industry and adds that only six per cent of current apprentices are female. 

The collective will provide tools and resources to help businesses recruit women. It will also celebrate the success of women in automotive training and careers and link them as mentors to other females to help them progress in the industry.

Natasha Callister, founding committee member of the group and chief commercial officer at MTF Finance, says she was inspired to launch Women in Automotive based on her own career experience in male-dominated industries. 

“I know first-hand the challenges women can face, but also the tools, support frameworks and strategies that can help progress careers into senior levels,” she explains.

“Our purpose is to bring together organisations of influence behind a co-ordinated and aligned effort to deliver on the ambition of increasing the participation of women across the automotive industry, and advance women into senior leadership roles.”

Callister, pictured, says many business owners want to understand how they can make vehicle dealerships and workshop environments more inviting and comfortable for women.

“They understand that increasing the representation of women is not just the right thing to do but it also makes smart business sense,” she adds.

“We also know that the women currently working in the industry simply love what they do and want to help other women join them.”

Besides Callister, other partners in the collective include the Collison Repair Association, MITO – Te Pukenga, the Motor Industry Association, Motor Trade Association, NZME Driven Car Guide and Otago Polytechnic – Te Pukenga.

For more details, visit https://womeninautomotive.nz.