Women in Automotive: WesTrac Learners Build Their Future in the Industry 

Quick Takeaways 

• Five female WesTrac learners have completed their AUR20520 Certificate II in Automotive Studies at MTA WA’s Maddington training centre.
• Four of these learners; Rebekah Farr, Lilly-Anne Mclean-Murcutt, Charlee Scattini and Marlissa White have secured Certificate III apprenticeships with WesTrac starting next year. 
• The success reflects the growing opportunities for women to build skilled careers across the automotive industry and related trades which are traditionally dominated by men. 
• Marlissa White was named WA School-based Apprentice of the Year at the 2026 WA Training Awards and will represent Western Australia at the Australian Training Awards in Sydney. 
• Maddison Ryan who also completed the Certificate II and will also look to pursue an apprenticeship pathway in 2027. 

The future of the automotive industry is being shaped by a new generation of skilled workers, and more women are seeing that there is a place for them in it. 

At MTA WA’s Maddington training centre, five WesTrac learners, Rebekah Farr, Lilly-Anne Mclean-Murcutt, Charlee Scattini, Maddison Ryan and Marlissa White, have completed their AUR20520 Certificate II in Automotive Studies with MTA WA trainer Robbie Given. 

It is an achievement worth celebrating in its own right, but what the group represents is just as significant. 

As the automotive and heavy vehicle industry continues to evolve, opportunities are opening for people from a wider range of backgrounds to build rewarding careers in the trades. These five learners are demonstrating what the next generation of the industry can look like, and is helping to address the skills shortage in the industry by broadening the pool of candidates pursuing careers in automotive.

Creating a Pathway into the Industry 

For young people considering their future, getting hands-on experience can be an important first step towards understanding where a trade career could take them. 

Through their Certificate II studies, Rebekah, Lilly-Anne, Charlee, Maddison and Marlissa have had the opportunity to develop practical skills, gain industry exposure and build the foundations to set them up for a strong start in the automotive industry.

Rebekah, Lilly-Anne, Charlee and Marlissa have secured Certificate III apprenticeships with WesTrac starting next year, taking them from their introductory training into the next stage of their careers. Maddison will also look to pursue an apprenticeship pathway in 2027. 

Importantly, their progression represents more than five individual achievements. It shows other young women considering a trade that careers in automotive, heavy vehicle and related technical fields are pathways they can pursue. 

Changing What a Career in Automotive Looks Like 

Automotive and mechanical trades have traditionally been male-dominated industries, but the next generation has an opportunity to change that, which is part of the solution to the skills gap that the automotive industry is currently experiencing.

Building a stronger industry for the future means encouraging talented people to pursue careers based on their interests, abilities and ambitions, rather than outdated perceptions of who belongs in a workshop or trade. 

Rebekah, Lilly-Anne, Charlee, Maddison and Marlissa are already helping challenge those perceptions. 

Seeing women completing automotive qualifications, moving into apprenticeships and building careers within the industry also creates something important for those coming behind them: visibility. 

For a school student considering an automotive pathway, seeing other young women taking that step can make a career in the industry feel more achievable and accessible. 

From left: Mel Greenhow, General Manager of Training at MTA WA; Marlissa White, WesTrac Apprentice and 2026 WA School-based Apprentice of the Year; and Neil Le Febvre, Group Chief Executive Officer at MTA WA, at the 2026 WA Training Awards.

Marlissa White Named WA School-based Apprentice of the Year 

Among the group’s achievements, Aveley Secondary College student Marlissa White was named WA School-based Apprentice of the Year at the 2026 WA Training Awards. 

Marlissa was recognised after balancing her school studies with a Certificate II in Automotive Services Technology through MTA WA and a school-based traineeship with WesTrac. 

She has since secured a full-time apprenticeship with WesTrac starting next year, after being selected as one of just two successful candidates from more than 1,400 applicants in her chosen specialisation. 

For Marlissa, stepping into a traditionally male-dominated industry was not a reason to reconsider the pathway. Instead, the opportunity helped provide direction for what she wanted her future career to look like. 

“Before this traineeship, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do once I finished school,” she said. 

“Now I have an apprenticeship in an industry I want to pursue in the future, and I’ve gained valuable workplace experience while completing my studies.” 

“The support from my teachers and the school’s pathways team gave me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone and pursue a career I’m passionate about.” 

“I’d encourage other students to keep an open mind, ask questions and take every opportunity to learn because you never know where it might lead.” 

Aveley Secondary College VET Coordinator Ashleigh Leaver said Marlissa’s success demonstrated what could be achieved when students were given opportunities to explore their interests through vocational education and training. 

“Marlissa is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when students pursue their passions and engage in vocational education and training opportunities,” she said. 

“School-based traineeships allow students to develop practical skills, build confidence and gain valuable industry experience while completing their education. Marlissa has made the most of those opportunities and her success highlights the powerful impact these pathways can have on a young person’s future.” 

As the WA winner, Marlissa will represent Western Australia at the Australian Training Awards in Sydney later this year and serve as an ambassador for vocational education and training. 

From left: Mel Greenhow, General Manager of Training at MTA WA; Marlissa White, WesTrac Apprentice and 2026 WA School-based Apprentice of the Year; and Neil Le Febvre, Group Chief Executive Officer at MTA WA, at the 2026 WA Training Awards. 

Building a More Diverse Automotive Workforce

For MTA WA, supporting the next generation means helping create pathways into the automotive industry for anyone with the drive and aptitude to succeed. 

The completion of the Certificate II by these five learners and the progression of four into apprenticeships with WesTrac are examples of how vocational training can turn an initial interest in a trade into a genuine career pathway. 

It is also an encouraging sign for the future of the industry. 

As automotive technology evolves and the demand for skilled workers continues, attracting more women into technical and trade careers expands the industry’s talent pool and provides more young people with opportunities to develop valuable, practical skills. 

Congratulations to Rebekah, Lilly-Anne, Charlee, Maddison and Marlissa on completing their Certificate II and taking another step towards their future careers. 

Their journeys are only beginning, but they are already helping show the next generation of women that there is a place for them in the automotive industry. 

Could Automotive Be Your Future? 

Whether you’re still at school, considering an apprenticeship or looking for a hands-on career, there are pathways into the automotive industry. 

MTA WA supports learners from introductory training through to apprenticeships and ongoing skills development, helping prepare the next generation for careers across a changing automotive industry. 

Explore Apprenticeships with MTA WA 

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