Ashlee Currinckx ditched her day job to pursue a hobby-turned-passion. Photo credit: GCC Visuals.
A brutal injury set Wollongong’s Ashlee Currinckx on a career path she says was unexpected by many — but really shouldn’t be.
A freak accident on the footy field in 2023 landed Ashlee with total shoulder reconstructive surgery.
Following months of recovery, as her return date to her banking job loomed, the penny dropped.
“I always had a vague idea I didn’t enjoy my work, but in that time it became very clear I couldn’t go back,” she says.
The answer, it turned out, wasn’t another office — it was a workbench.
Ashlee had long dabbled with woodworking and carpentry, completing projects around the house and crafting simple things, such as coasters to give to family.
“I started buying tools from Bunnings without really knowing how to use them,” she laughs. “When my mum and sister suggested it could be more than a hobby, it just clicked.”
The hunt for a carpentry apprenticeship, however, proved to be its own uphill battle. Between the lines of polite rejections, Ashlee felt a lingering doubt that she could handle the manual rigour of a male-dominated industry.
“I think a lot of people have preconceived ideas that women aren’t as capable as men when it comes to hands-on work like this,” she says. “Luckily, I landed a great job with a great team.”
Like a sharp chisel to cedar, Ashlee had finally found her groove.
New data has revealed the increasingly critical role women such as Ashlee are playing in the construction industry, helping grow the skilled workforce needed to deliver homes, infrastructure and major projects across NSW. Photo: Digger Brothers Building.
Now a third-year apprentice for Digger Brothers Building, Ashlee has also picked up a Certificate IV in Building and Construction at TAFE NSW Wollongong, taking classes from 5:30 to 9:30 pm three nights a week in addition to her day job.
The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has revealed the number of females in NSW enrolling in construction trades courses more than doubled in the five years to 2025.
Ashlee is eyeing an on-site supervisory role in the short term, but her bigger blueprint involves education. She eventually wants to return to the classroom to help reshape how women experience the trade.
“We’ve obviously come a long way, but I think there’s still a big need in our industry to change the way we view women in male-dominated roles. Often, they’re not seen as having the strength and will to keep up with the boys,” she says.
“I can see myself one day returning to TAFE NSW to help change that. I think visibility of women in the industry plays a big role.”
TAFE NSW Executive Director of Teaching and Learning in Construction and Energy, Jennifer Perkins, a qualified electrician, says increasing female participation strengthens both the culture and capability of worksites.
“Increasing female participation isn’t just important, it’s essential to meeting industry demand and growing the workforce,” she says. “More women on worksites strengthens teams, boosts productivity and supports the long-term future of the industry.”
NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan says increasing female participation in the trades is key to building a resilient, future-ready workforce for NSW.
“The construction industry needs more skilled workers, and supporting more women to enter, train and thrive in the sector is critical to meeting that demand,” she says.
TAFE NSW Wollongong is also hosting a Women in Trades Breakfast on Tuesday 10 March to celebrate women in trades and inspire the next generation of female tradies.
