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The Women in Trades Scholarship Program is designed to improve women’s economic participation and equality in the workforce in traditionally male-dominated roles such as those in building & construction, and STEM (i.e. science, technology, engineering and maths).
The $5,000 scholarship can be used to cover training costs and other associated expenses to support you in your training journey.
APPLY NOW FOR 2026. APPLICATIONS CLOSE 20 MARCH 2026.
In a nutshell
The $2 million Women in Trades program offers a $5,000 scholarship payment per place to fund up to 400 places over four years (2024-2027) for women, or for persons who identify as a woman, enrolled in eligible apprenticeships, traineeships or institutional qualifications at WA TAFE colleges.
- Up to 20 places available who enrol* in selected qualifications at Central Regional TAFE
- A $5,000 scholarship for successful applicants
- The payment will cover training costs or other associated expenses to support the participants through their studies.
* Conditions apply. Applicants must have either completed their first block of training
Apply now for your Scholarship
Download WiT Scholarship Flyer (687 KB) (PDF document - opens in a new tab)
Download WiT Scholarships Course List(opens in a new tab)
Note: Scholarships are available at all TAFE colleges across Western Australia. If you are not intending to study at Central Regional TAFE, you will need to check the other TAFE websites for Women in Trades Scholarship information.
All the details
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must:
- be a person who identifies as a woman;
- have left school; and
- be a Western Australian resident and Australian citizen; or
- be a permanent visa holder or holder of an eligible visa sub-class as outlined in the Department of Training and Workforce Development's VET Fees and Charges Policy 2025.
You must also:
- be commencing training in an eligible qualification (full-time or part-time) between 1 January and 31 December 2026; and
- be undertaking your course at Central Regional TAFE; and
- not be receiving another scholarship for that course of study.
Applications close COB 20 March 2026.
Applicants will be evaluated based on the quality of their applications, particularly on how well they address the short-written questions, which are:
- Describe your career goals and aspirations.
- What are the main reason(s) that you are applying for the scholarship?
- If successful, what would you use the scholarship money for?
After the formal evaluation process, shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an informal interview. Notification of the outcomes, whether successful or not, will be provided to all applicants after the evaluation process.
Scholarship recipients will receive a one–off payment following successful enrolment and continuation of training past the withdrawal/census period stipulated by Central Regional TAFE.
Recipients will be sent a payment claim form to complete and forward to the Central Regional TAFE Finance Department. Once processed, funds will be deposited into the recipient's nominated bank account.
Scholarship recipients will be able to use the scholarship funding to enhance their successful retention, completion and subsequent job outcomes in their chosen field of study including:
- Student fees
- Learning resources
- Mentoring and/or coaching
- Transport and accommodation
- Childcare
- Tools, work clothes and personal protective equipment
- Laptops/tablets
- Additional courses, workshops and seminars
- Work tickets and licenses.
- After you submit your application, you will get an email message from Central Regional TAFE to let you know we have received it.
- All applications will be reviewed after the closing deadline.
- If you're one of the top applicants, you will be contacted by email for an informal interview. Make sure to check your email after the closing date.
- All successful and non-successful applicants will be advised in writing after the selection process is complete.
- Scholarship funds will be available after the successful applicants have been notified.
Everything you need to know
Why is the Western Australian Government offering this scholarship?
The scholarship is designed to improve women’s economic participation and equality in the workforce by increasing female participation in traditionally male dominated roles such as building and construction and science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
What are the trades and industries?
Occupations where women make up less than 25% of the total workforce are considered non-traditional. Refer to the Eligible Qualifications section to see the qualifications eligible for this scholarship.
How were the qualifications selected?
The qualifications are linked to occupations where women comprised less than 25% of the workforce based on the 2021 Census and are linked to STEM fields of education or the building and construction industry. In addition, there are a number of qualifications included that meet the regional skill needs, occupations in demand, and labour market shortages identified by TAFE Colleges.
How does the scholarship work?
If you are planning, or have already applied, to commence an eligible non-traditional qualification and meet the eligibility requirements you can apply for a scholarship to assist with the costs associated with your training. $5,000 scholarships will be available for both institutional and employment based training. Successful applicants will receive a one-off payment from the State Government upon enrolment and continuation of training past the withdrawal/census date stipulated by your TAFE College.
What can the scholarship be used for?
The funds are provided to assist with any costs associated with undertaking publicly funded training or overcoming barriers to participation. This can include items such as student fees, learning resources, mentoring, coaching, accommodation, transport, childcare, tools, work clothes, personal protective equipment, laptops/tablets, additional courses/workshops/seminars, work tickets, and licenses.
How many scholarships will be awarded?
Each of the five TAFE Colleges will award 20 Scholarships per annum over four years between 2024 and 2027. A total of 400 scholarships will be awarded statewide across the 4 years.
When can I apply?
Applications for 2026 scholarships open on Wednesday, 15 October 2025 and the closing date for applications is Friday, 20 March 2026.
How will I know my application has been received?
You will receive an automatic notification on lodgement of your application via email.
How will applications be assessed?
Applicants will be assessed on the quality of their applications with respect to how well they address the three short written response questions:
- Describe your career goals and aspirations;
- What are the main reason(s) that you are applying for the scholarship?
- If successful, what would you use the scholarship money for?
Consideration will also be given to industry spread and regional location.
Who can apply for the scholarship?
To be eligible to apply for the Scholarship applicants must:
- be a person who identifies as a woman who has left school;
- be a Western Australian resident and an Australian citizen; or
- be a permanent visa holder or holder of an eligible visa sub-class as outlined in the Department of Training and Workforce Development's VET Fees and Charges Policy 2025,
- commencing training in an eligible qualification (full-time or part-time) between 1 January and 31 December 2026;
- undertaking their course at Central Regional TAFE; and
- not be receiving another scholarship for their course of study.
How do I apply?
All applications must be submitted via the online WiT application form available on this website.
If I have already commenced a qualification on the eligible qualifications list, can I apply for a scholarship for that qualification?
No. The scholarship is only available for those who commence training in their qualification between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026.
Can I apply if I am doing a VET qualification at school?
No. You must have left school and be already enrolled in the qualifications to apply for the scholarship.
What training can I do?
A list of eligible qualification for the scholarship program are specified on the Eligible Qualifications list on this page of the Central Regional TAFE website. Eligible qualifications include apprenticeships, traineeships and institutional training (apprenticeships).
How will I know if I have been awarded a scholarship?
Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application by a Central Regional TAFE representative.
How do I claim the payment?
Scholarship recipients will be sent a payment claim form to complete and forward to Central Regional TAFE's Finance Department. Once processed, funds will be deposited in your bank account.
Will I need to report or provide receipts on what I spend the money on?
No.
If you need assistance, your local Jobs and Skills Centre can help. You can contact them by phone or email, or visit a Jobs and Skills Centre in person.
Phone: 13 64 64
(You will be connected to your nearest Jobs and Skills Centre)
Jobs and Skills Centres
Geraldton: X Block, Fitzgerald Street Geraldton WA 6530 (midwestjsc@crtafe.wa.edu.au)
Kalgoorlie: Main administration building, 34 Cheetham Street Kalgoorlie WA 6430 (goldfieldsjsc@crtafe.wa.edu.au)
Northam: Lot 1 Hutt Street, Northam WA 6401 (wheatbeltjsc@crtafe.wa.edu.au)