Bek Livermore's driving ambition is to operate machines. But the Armidale tradie was forced to change gears when she had her three young sons early in life.
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Growing up with six older brothers, Ms Livermore was drawn to tinkering with trucks and machinery.
"I always wanted to drive my own truck, or operate any machinery," the 29-year-old mother said.
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An opportunity arose earlier this year, when Ms Livermore enrolled into the program, Construction on Country.
Founded by Rechelle Leahy, the program encourages women into trades pathways, with a particular focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island, refugee and migrant women.
It is supported by a Connecting Women to Trades Grant from the NSW education department and was launched in Tamworth in June.
Ms Leahy hopes the program will be picked up by other communities across the New England, especially during National Skills Week, which runs until August 27.
Ms Livermore is now steering her life towards success. She has just passed her tickets in driving a bobcat, roller and traffic control and is eyeing passing her forklift truck licence.
In May, and thanks to her involvement with Construction on Country, Ms Livermore worked with a group of like-minded young Indigenous on a project laying stormwater pipes and digging trenches on Armidale's Naiwan reserve.
That led to a job at New England Freighters, in Mann Street, where Ms Livermore is helping drive machinery.
It's a success story of which Ms Leahy is very proud.
"By providing exposure to trades such as construction, electrical, and metal fabrication, as well as support through mentorship, job readiness training, and work experience, we hope to empower more young women to pursue careers in these nontraditional fields," Ms Leahy said.
She wants to show trades are a viable career option for women.
"Ultimately we'd like to develop skills and qualifications needed to enter trades employment," Ms Leahy said.
"We want to build confidence and overcome perceived barriers to entering male-dominated fields."
Success would certainly help plug the gap in skills shortage in the regions.
According to latest data from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, plumbers, gasfitters, plasterers and stonemasons remain in short supply in and across the regions.
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