Closing the Gender Divide: Why Career Education Holds the Key to Equality
A new report from Jobs and Skills Australia has sounded the alarm on the persistent gender divides in education, training, and the workforce. Despite women now achieving higher qualifications than men, they continue to earn less, face underutilisation of their skills, and remain underrepresented in high-demand sectors such as STEM, trades, and digital industries (Jobs and Skills Australia, 2025).
The Power of Early Career Education
The report highlights the “potential role for system-wide occupational awareness or career education to influence early gendered study choices” (Jobs and Skills Australia, 2025, p. 5). These choices, often cemented in childhood, can contribute to occupational segregation that locks women out of higher-paid and higher-growth fields.
One program already making strides is Little Ripples, an initiative of the National Careers Institute. Designed for primary-aged children, their parents, and educators, Little Ripples uses eBooks, games, and resources to spark curiosity, challenge stereotypes, and broaden children’s awareness of career possibilities. By engaging both families and schools, it ensures children receive consistent and positive messages about career diversity at home and in the classroom (Your Career, 2025; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2023; International Labour Organization [ILO], 2023).
Building on Early Success
While the early results of Little Ripples are encouraging, the program needs national investment and expansion to reach its full potential. Expanding the initiative could:
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Broaden resources to include fast-growing sectors like green energy, digital technology, and advanced manufacturing.
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Provide culturally relevant and inclusive content for First Nations communities, migrants, and families from diverse backgrounds.
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Strengthen teacher professional development and parent engagement strategies.
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Establish Little Ripples as a cornerstone of Australia’s national career education strategy (Jobs and Skills Australia, 2025).
A Call to Action
The Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA) is urging policymakers to act. As Executive Director David Carney explains:
“The Jobs and Skills Australia report makes it clear: without strong career education, gender segregation and pay gaps will persist. Programs like Little Ripples show what’s possible when we engage children, parents and educators early, but to make a real difference, we need national policy and investment that embeds career development at every stage of learning and work.”
Career education is not just an education reform issue, it’s a workforce, economic, and equity imperative. Embedding career learning from the earliest years is essential if Australia is to close the gender divide and build a more inclusive, future-ready economy.
Media Release
References
International Labour Organization. (2023). World employment and social outlook: The role of skills in transforming the future of work. Geneva: International Labour Office.
Jobs and Skills Australia. (2025). Education and training divides: Gender economic equality study paper 2. Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/research/studies/gender-economic-equality-study
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2023). Gender, education and skills mismatches in the future of work. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/gender-education-and-skills_34680dd5-en.html
Your Career. (2025). Little Ripples resources. National Careers Institute. https://www.yourcareer.gov.au/resources/little-ripples
