Stefanie Apostolidis (Stef) became a successful tradesperson in Australia ever since she commenced her Apprenticeship in 2013.

As a business owner, qualified Carpenter and Site Manager, she has continued to inspire and encourage women who already work within the field, and those looking to join the construction industry.

She founded the Tradie Lady Club in 2018 to raise awareness and offer support for female tradies. In the same year, she created an Instagram account and became known as the Melbourne Chippy Chick. She now has over 156k followers with whom she shares tips, knowledge and her story.

Stef moved from job-to-job and explored a number of opportunities before deciding to join her dad’s Building Company. With the enthusiastic support and continued encouragement from her family, Stef decided it was time to take on Apprenticeship.

“At first, I was a bit confused and unsure about the idea, but that shortly changed. So, we looked into what it would take for me to be a builder,” she said on Instagram.

“Dad said in order to be a builder you need to know what you’re doing to walk on-site and have knowledge of everything that you will be managing. So, people will respect you. And to do that, you need to do an Apprenticeship. So I did. And I loved it!.”

She also had to endure the challenges of being a woman working on a construction site.

“At first, people saw me as a helper, to basically come in to help my dad for the day. I was overlooked because I was a female and young. But, in fact, I was a qualified Carpenter and the Company’s Site Manager,” she said.

Stef went through moments doubting her ability to do the job and often questioned whether people would one day take her seriously. Instead of taking a step back, Stef used this a motivation to prove everyone wrong – that she was the woman for the job.

“Tradies would come to site and ask me for the “boss” or my “father”. No, I’m the Manager, you can come to me, I would say. Once they discovered I could help them, things changed,” she said.

If you want to learn more about women in trades, follow Stef on Instagram and join the Tradie Lady Club: www.melbournechippychick.com.au.

If you are eager to pursue a career similar to what Stef has achieved, we can help. Simply, get in touch with us by sending an e-mail: [email protected].