When most people think about labour hire and skilled recruitment, they picture predominantly male workforces in high-vis and hard hats. While construction and trades remain core to what we do at Worksforyou, the reality of modern skilled recruitment looks very different from the stereotype.
The Reality: 50% of Our Workforce Are Women
Across our placements, women make up approximately 50% of our workforce. This isn’t just a number we’re proud of – it reflects the changing face of Australian industry and the diverse skill sets businesses actually need.
Take our relationship with Corteva, a leader in hybrid canola breeding. While they value all capable workers in the paddock, they’ve specifically noted the difference diverse teams make. The women working on their agricultural research projects bring a level of care and attention to detail that’s crucial for precision tasks, and supervisors have observed consistently faster work rates on detailed operations.
Skilled Recruitment: More Than Just Sparkies
While electrical contractors remain a core placement area, the diversity of roles we’re filling continues to expand across multiple sectors.
Green Energy and Sustainability As Australia transitions toward renewable energy, we’re seeing increased demand for specialists in this growing sector, from solar installation technicians to environmental compliance officers.
Agricultural Operations Plant operators in regional centres like Young and Griffith represent another growing area, requiring specific technical skills and understanding of agricultural cycles.
Manufacturing and Fabrication We recently placed a qualified welder in Canberra for a major manufacturing project, demonstrating our capability in specialised trades requiring specific certifications.
Construction and Infrastructure Our recent placement of licensed electricians with Res Group continues our strength in traditional trades while expanding into comprehensive project staffing solutions.
Project Management: Strategic Placement
One area of particular growth has been project management placements. Andy Muirhead, who we placed in a project management role with Yara, reflects: “The difference between Worksforyou and traditional recruitment agencies became clear immediately. They understood both the technical requirements and the cultural fit needed. The placement process was efficient, and the ongoing support has been excellent.”
Why Diversity Matters
The evolution of our placement mix tells a broader story about Australian industry. As businesses face increasingly complex challenges, they need diverse teams with varied skill sets and perspectives.
Several factors are driving this shift: changing industry composition as Australia’s economy evolves; increased project complexity requiring multidisciplinary teams; client recognition that diverse teams deliver better outcomes; and regulatory requirements for diversity targets on major projects.
Real Results for Real Projects
Willy Mitchell, Managing Director, recently shared his experience in working with Res Group: “In construction, you need people who can hit the ground running. Worksforyou delivered qualified sparkies who not only had the right tickets but understood the pace and demands of commercial construction. That’s the difference between a recruitment partner who understands the industry and one that’s just ticking boxes.”
Looking Forward
As we continue to expand our Skilled Recruitment division, the diversity of placements will only increase. Emerging sectors like renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and technology-enabled agriculture are creating entirely new categories of skilled work.
The stereotype of labour hire as “big burly men” was always incomplete. Today, it’s simply inaccurate. Modern skilled recruitment requires understanding that talent comes in all forms, that different projects need different skill mixes, and that the best teams are usually diverse teams.
Whether you need licensed electricians, plant operators, project managers, or kitchen staff, the question isn’t “do you have big burly men” – it’s “do you have the right professionals for this specific project?”
The answer is yes – and those professionals look a lot more like modern Australia than outdated stereotypes suggest.
For more information about skilled recruitment services, contact Worksforyou on 1800 965 950 or visit worksforyou.com.au.