The 19-year-old Dubbo woman has spent the last 12 months trying to get herself into an apprenticeship but has had no luck so far and is getting frustrated because it seems the only thing holding her back is her gender.

Construction is one of the handful of industries that are still considered non-traditional for women and the few who try and cross the divide are often overlooked for unfair or stereotypical reasons.

Corie approached an employment agency, where she was told it would be difficult for her to get a job and calls to builders have gone unanswered, unreturned or ended in rejection.

"I love watching The Block and how they renovate and I thought that would be my dream job. I thought carpentry or construction work would be a good place for me to start," Corie said.

"I started looking halfway through last year. I talked to an employment agency and they told me I would struggle and I rang several builders in the newspaper and the phone book.

"I've rung about eight and either they haven't answered and I've left messages with my name and number and I've never had a call back. The one person who did answer was really quite rude."

While an apprenticeship is the goal, Corie said she wants the chance to prove herself and is hopeful that a builder might be willing to give her a go.

"I grew up with three brothers, I believe I could do the work. All I really want is to have the opportunity to prove myself but no one will give me that."

A number of organisations have been established to support women who are trying to break into male dominated industries.

The founder of the Women in Trade social network Amanda Woods, herself a qualified cabinet maker, said Corie's case isn't an isolated one.

"Unfortunately it's a common problem and it's not an easy one to overcome. Females are still being overlooked non-traditional jobs and it is tough to get a foot in the door," Ms Woods said.

"What you generally find is that employers who take in female apprentices are quite surprised and pleased with their work and would take on another one but it can be tough to convince them to take the step.

"Some of the reasons I have heard from employers include them being scared of being sued for sexual harassment, that women aren't strong enough and that they will distract the other workers."

Fiona Lawrie is an apprentice mechanic who set up Fanelle, the female apprentice network, after she struggled to find a job.

"My first job fell into my lap but when I decided to change jobs, it was a lot harder. It took me three months just to get a trial. I heard all sorts of reasons including not being able to supply female toilets, not having security cameras to protect me through to not being strong enough," Ms Lawrie said.

The organisation SALT (Supporting and Linking Tradeswomen) was established by Fi Shewring and as well as offering support, they also offer introductory courses for women using power tools.

Data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research reveals that less than one per cent of carpentry apprentices are women, with 67 females commencing their study in 2013, compared to 7334 males.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that just 676 of 96,250, or .70 per cent, of carpenters are women.

Rosie Chambers of Carpentry Australia, a trade association, acknowledges that women are under represented in the industry and believes more needs to be done.

"Progress is slow, and a lot still needs to be done to pave the way for equal opportunities in trade employment in Australia," Ms Chambers said.

"Groups such as SALT, FANELLE and Women in Trades Social Network are working hard to bring together tradeswomen and apprentices, as well as promoting positive perceptions of women in the non-traditional trades."