Latest labour force figures showed while Victoria was leading the nation in terms of women employed in the building and construction industry, just 252 of more than 8000 women in the regions were working in Warrnambool and the south-west.

The second-lowest figures were recorded in Bendigo (470) about double that of the south-west region.

It was just in the past two years that Shona McGuigan became the south-west's first female at a local training institute to graduate to a qualified plumber, before being employed at Warrnambool plumbing and refrigeration business Cri-tech.

She joined just a few other women in the region directly on the tools, including Bolden Constructions tradeswoman Jacqueline Tippett.

"I've now started in the trade but I did the pre-apprentice course at TAFE which gave me an inkling of what it would be like on-site, what I'd do and the end result," Ms Tippett said.

"My teacher Chris Holloway was really encouraging to get females in the trade and just give it a go.

"For me personally, you don't have to be on the tools to be in the trade. There's so many voices in the background and so many people who put through plans that you never see on site. So my message to women would be that you don't have to be on-site and be on the tools to be in construction. You can be the person behind the plans if you'd like. Don't limit yourself."

She said those thinking about joining the construction industry shouldn't be discouraged by preconceptions.

"I'd say we do feel intimidated in some aspects in that some people are still stuck in their ways, but they're willing to change - it just takes time as everything does," she said.

"It's just a process of getting your foot in the door, showing you're willing to give it a crack - you've got the support of your family and friends and my partner had played a big role in encouraging me to stick with it and keep going.

"I'd say it can be intimidating but when you get the right crew and the people willing to teach you it does make it easier to put your foot in the door and keep going."

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Portland Kustom Kitchens cabinet maker Cara McCourt said while there were still some stereotypes to break down with clients, nothing should get in the way of joining if someone was interested.

"I've always used my hands and made enclosures out of scrap pallets and working with timber," she said.

"It's always clicked with me, building things. The industry is really accepting now, sometimes the clients won't think you won't be as capable as you can be but it's my job to be able to do the work.

"As long as you give it a good go, it's all pretty equal, males or females. It doesn't really matter."

Bolden Constructions director Leigh Dufty said campaigns to get women in the field only recently gained momentum.

"There's minimal females in construction that I know of, I can only think of ours and one other," he said.

"Apart from that it's been very minimal over the years - I think I know of a painter and that's about it in the past. I think it's because it's only been in recent times the construction industry was pushing towards getting more women in and making females feel like they'd be accepted.

"It would have been pretty intimidating with how trades were male-dominated previously. The likes of things like Master Builders has helped to change that."

WestVic's 'Women in Trades' pre-apprenticeship support program was launched this week to encourage the region's numbers.

General manager Brendan Hawkins said the initiative aimed to help answer any questions women had about the field and find them the right employer.

"The point is to make sure once they've done their pre-apprenticeship we add on some training to help them make the right choice and the right trade.

"We'll get a female apprentice in and deliver some of their experience and advice."

To get involved in the program call Kyla Bryce on 0460 307 724.

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