Women who work in trades are not princesses, says carpentry apprentice Juliette Liddle. ''The princesses don't make it,'' she laughs.

Female tradies are determined, have an eye for the finer detail and are generally more committed to the job. ''We have to be, we have to fight to get where we are,'' says the 28-year-old, who made the unlikely professional jump to tradie after seven years as an interior decorator.

Building suits me: carpentry apprentice Juliette Liddle. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui

''Building houses suits me much better than fluffing pillows,'' she says.

The Mont Albert North chippie is part of a minority of women who are infiltrating male-dominated trades in pursuit of their dreams. Since 2010, the state government has injected more than $300,000 into programs to overcome some of the biggest stumbling blocks to female participation. And it is working.