Written by Izzy, our A Grade Sparky.
Being a tradesperson has its own unique challenges, let alone being a female tradie.
When I first started my venture into being a tradesperson, I immediately noticed the challenges I would be facing specifically as a female.
EMPLOYMENT:
Finding employment was not the issue in itself, but finding an employer that would treat me as a capable electrician was more the issue. Unfortunately past employers have not been the best providers of an inclusive work environment, but then again that seemed to be the case for all staff – not just me.
When I initially contacted Verve Electrical PTY LTD it was actually because I’d seen their social media posts and they seemed to have a light hearted and positive environment for and with their staff so I gave them a call!
It’s been great working here since I started, and behind the scenes a lot of small changes have occurred voluntarily due to Management recognising the importance of the little details that are part of the ‘inclusive work environment’ we know so well today. Things like moving to a commercial space that allowed for a proper toilet, changes in language that would otherwise have just been ‘tradie talk’ but is now a little more respectful of everyone (mainly with staff learning this) and generally respectful consideration of things from both angles.
CUSTOMERS:
“Does she know what she’s doing?” is probably the worst I’ve encountered as a female electrician working in someones home. The client called Management to express their concerns that a “young girl” was installing the air conditioner they’d requested, and the customer didn’t think a female was up to the job. True to form, Joey (owner) popped down to the job, so he could address the issue head on… the issue being that the customer was stuck in the 1930’s. We finished the job and believe it or not the air con did actually work, and even passed inspection by the Victorian Building Association during a random audit – again the customer thought the VBA audit was because I was female.
I would say 95% of clients that contact Verve Electrical PTY LTD do not specifically care that a female is doing the job, however a few then make special requests for following jobs, specifically asking for a female to return. I’ve found most of the return requests are from single women living alone, elderly women who’ve been taken advantage of in the past, or even just males requesting the “same sparky as last time” without giving a hoot which gender, just that they were good at their job.
Quite a few customers have even made special requests for other staff too, so it’s more a familiarity thing. But I have encountered a few customers that specifically want a female in their home. We all understand that, and many of the clients in this case have unique reasons as to why they’d prefer a female so it’s nice the company can accommodate that need.
STAFF AND COMPATABILITY:
I’ve never encountered issues with staff at any workplace, however it has been a slight and very discreet challenge from other trades on site occasionally. It might not be glaringly obvious, but let’s just say I ask the concreter when the pour is booked, so we can earth the pool beforehand, I get a look of “you know that?”. After the initial surprise it’s usually plain sailing but it does make me laugh.
EDIT: I’ll just comment here Izzy… I do laugh when I think back to picking you up on your first day with us. We had an apprentice in the car and I said “we’re picking Izzy up, SHE is doing a trial today”. The apprentices reply was “A girl? Are you for real?” and then I pointed at you, and said “there she is!”. He sat in silence the whole day, and eventually parted ways with us.
– Joey.
A TYPICAL DAY AT WORK:
A typical day as a female electrician is no different to any other electrician, male, female or anyone in between – I think Joey would agree that it comes down to being proficient at what you do, which is what my position is based on.
My day begins with an early start, usually up at about 6am. I leave home by 6:45am most days to travel to our jobs which are usually based in and around Bayswater, Ringwood, Croydon and Chirnside Park but sometimes as far as Mornington ( which suits me, I love the beach).
If I have an apprentice with me for the day, they’ll either meet at my house or even at the business address, at 7/33-39 Corporate Boulevard Bayswater. We might grab some stock for the job if we don’t already have it, and then we shoot off to the first job of the day.
Once we arrive at the job address, I’ll go through the job with the customer, while the apprentice starts unpacking the tools and materials we’ll need. From there, it’s straight into it getting things done. Today we did a switchboard upgrade in Notting Hill followed by a few data points in the home. We’ve done work for this couple before and they asked I return for other works, so Joey ensures it’s scheduled for me each time.
I try find tasks to train the apprentice on, but it can be a juggle not falling behind in the day while still allocating time to teaching. (our apprentice gets shared between staff for a varied exposure, and different teachings – something I wish I had with past employers!)
Once we’ve done our jobs, updated job notes and advised Management of any changes to the invoice, we either head home or tidy the van for the next day. We try finish by 3:30pm which means we’re home by 4:30pm or 5pm. So it’s a long day and does involves a bit of travel, but it’s all part of the gig!
THE FUTURE:
The future… I’m not sure what it holds for me in terms of being on the tools full time. Any sparky considers what comes next, especially given you spend 4 years undergoing intensive learning, and then it just stops. You definitely learn a lot as an A grade electrician, mainly in terms of problem solving and using your resources to resolve issues on site. I enjoy the management aspect of jobs, ensuring everything runs smoothly and all time and materials is accounted for.
Joey and I have had discussions about career progression, something that was earmarked at the very beginning of our working together. Joey noticed that I’d potentially suit a management role, and so we’ve spent opportunistic moments learning here and there about the topics beyond purely electrical works.
Things like job tracking, logistics, invoicing, certification of works, client acquisition and even the finances of the business.
There is still a lot for me to learn on the tools as an A grade electrician – and these things are based on when the opportunity is there to encounter the problem in the first place (like a vehicle crashing into a meter panel… what to do, how to organise outside involvement, what the legalities are and how to manage the emergency timeframe, AND still do the job itself).
MORE WOMEN IN TRADES:
I have definitely noticed more women doing trades, which is great to see. There is no reason women can’t take part in their chosen industry, and the nice thing about Electrical is that the industry is so vast… You can do data, domestic, commercial, solar, testing, maintenance, fault finding, or all of those things as I do, as a generic “do it all” knowledge base. Verve Electrical PTY LTD also put me through my air conditioning accreditation, so I can do that too. More importantly I can help plan and also quote those jobs in the future as part of my career progression plan with Joey.
I think any women planning on doing a trade should consider it as a viable option. Admittedly we’re still at a point where finding the right employer is unfortunately still relevant, but everyone is catching up with the new norm so it’ll only get easier!