Reference man's hidden hand: Gender, power, and the social construction of skill in vocational education and training

Abstract

This paper examines how Australia's apprenticeship system perpetuates gender inequity through the social construction of skill and systemic barriers. Drawing on transformative gender theory and Bacchi and Eveline's "What's the Problem Represented to Be" framework, it analyzes how apprenticeship policies and practices privilege masculinized norms while marginalizing women's participation. The research reveals how Training Packages, as foundational policy mechanisms, codify gendered assumptions about skill and work. These assumptions are then amplified through apprenticeship structures that compound discrimination through employer-led hiring models, workplace cultures, and financial incentives that fail to account for women's economic realities. The findings indicate that meaningful reform requires moving beyond "fixing women" approaches to address structural barriers and reimagine how skill is defined and valued in vocational pathways.