The now 33-year-old said during her time, school leavers weren't encouraged to enter into a trade, a move she had considered for a long time.

Somewhat bravely, Alex has now completed a year and a half of a carpentry apprenticeship and she couldn't be happier.

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"I actually got into the industry by chance," she said.

"I'd always considered going into a trade, but it was never really advertised at (our) careers day and it wasn't given as an option for many women at that age.

"But I just knew I wanted to do something hands-on."

After her partner was offered a job opportunity on site, Alex took the leap of faith and got in contact with her current boss.

"I rang him and said I knew it was a bit out of left field and asked if he would consider putting me on," she said.

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"So I had an interview and the rest is history."

As a carpenter, or chippy, Alex said every day is different.

"It's great because you never know what the day will bring," she said.

"One minute you're framing a house, then you're cladding or anything with the facade or we even do concrete flooring.

"A lot of apprentices like to pick a specialty within the trade, but being able to be a sort of jack-of-all-trades would be amazing."

While her skills and knowledge have evolved throughout her time on site, Alex said she has been able to grow as a person at the same time.

"I've really been able to work on my people skills and learnt how to communicate, particularly in such a male-dominated industry," she said.

"While every man - and woman - on my team is so welcoming and I've never had an issue with them, it took me a bit to build my confidence around them.

"It also took a while to believe in myself and tell myself I have the right to be here."

Alex's ultimate goal is to continue her learning and use her skills to help her family.

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"I'd always wanted to be able to help my parents with jobs around the house, so it was important for me to get into a trade and learn the abilities to do that," she said.

"I've always wanted to be self-sufficient as well and be able to flip homes, but I never had the skills or knowledge to do that."

She said any women thinking it will be a scary industry to make a start in, that's far from the truth in most cases.

"I have found working in trades to be super welcoming," Alex said.

"I haven't been treated any differently than a man would have been.

"If you are thinking about it, stop thinking about it, and just go for it."

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