The WA Government has put up a range of scholarships aimed at forging a new generation of tradie ladies.

The State Government says getting more women into traditionally male roles will help address WA’s 24 per cent gender pay gap.

Tradespeople account for about a sixth of the WA workforce, but just 3 per cent of electrical and mechanical apprentices are women.

“We do have a disproportionate number of men in jobs earning higher incomes as opposed to women,” WA Training and Workforce Development Minister Liza Harvey said.

The WA Government has launched a $1.2 million scholarship program to encourage women to take up a trade, while also providing incentives for business owners to take on female apprentices.

“It's a real win-win for women to take up trades. There is a whole range of careers - electricians, quantity surveying and building estimating - where there is under-representation of women with no good cause,” Ms Harvey said.

“There are so many opportunities. The tide has turned and there are companies desperate to engage female apprenticeships.

“Break those stereotypes and let people choose different roles.

“Traditionally a lot of the roles women have gone into are lower paid, why shouldn't they be in a trade if they are good with their hands, fine-work or good problem solvers?”

A recent Westpac survey of 1,000 Australian found trades were ranked as the top industry associated with men, and homemaking for women.

TradeUp Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that helps women earn large salaries like male tradies can.

Ms Flatters told the ABC that becoming an electrician after studying a business degree was received oddly at first.

“My friends were like; ‘You're too smart to do it’, and I think there is a misconception out there about what it means to be a tradie,” she said.

“Doing a trade, you're going to become financially independent, practically independent and you will always be helping others.”