The Electrical Training Company– and Bernadette and Alicia

The Electrical Training Company (Etco) employs electrical apprentices who are training towards a National Certificate in Electrical Engineering (level 4), and places them with host companies for on-the-job training.  Nationwide there are 10 branches of Etco, some with full training facilities (for example, Auckland). 

In 2011, 240 new apprentices are required – taking the total to 560.  Etco has 13 female apprentices across the country – this equates to four percent women, which is higher than the one percent of women in the trade nationally (2006 census).

We interviewed Peter Rushworth (chief executive officer) and John Riley (apprenticeship manager), and two female apprentices, Bernadette Dolan and Alicia Blom.  Both apprentices have been with etco for over a year.

Both Alicia and Bernadette did most of their paperwork at Manukau Institute of Technology, and contacted etco for support in finding an apprenticeship with different employers.

The benefits of having tradeswomen working in the company

Peter says he would like more women if he could find them: “With 240 to employ this year we need just about everybody we can get”. This is because, he says:

 “I think young women make good apprentice electricians - they are hardworking, they clean up, and language has improved on site and in training.”

John commented that being a woman (in addition to skills) can be a benefit in itself – particularly when there are women on site, for example in domestic work:

 “Skycity needed work on its female locker room so they wanted a female electrician.”

“Auckland airport appreciated having a female electrician because there were mainly women in the office.”

John and Peter talked about the kind of attitude required for working in a trade:

 “You’ve not necessarily got to be one of the boys but you can’t be too thin-skinned neither.”

“One of our women was asked how would she would deal with all the swearing on a big job – and she replied ‘that’s OK, I promise not to swear!”

Focus and determination are the most beneficial attributes, they say.

Benefits of being a tradeswoman

Alicia appreciates that people on site show ‘a little more respect’ for her.

Bernadette adds that “if you get given grief, just give it back”.

Alicia says that women are still uncommon on site and she recalls a time when this became particularly obvious:

“Once I was up a ladder with my top half in the ceiling – and someone came in and said ‘hey bro’!”

The practical and useful nature of the job is something that Alicia and Bernadette find beneficial:

“I like completing something and seeing it works.”

“Having the knowledge to fix appliances in your own home. You are independent and you can do stuff without electrocuting yourself!”

Doing a job that is a bit different has its benefits:

“Seeing the shock on people’s faces when you tell them you’re an electrician apprentice – they’re like ‘wow’!” Alicia

“There’s a lot of good humour - you can make some good friends.  It’s cool to be an electrician.” Bernadette

What works to attract and retain women in trades?

Bernadette thinks that aspiring tradeswomen need to have the right mindset:

“Society has made it seem like it’s not a viable option - it’s possible, you just need to have the right mindset.”

Bernadette believes targeting female students is the way to go:

“I think you need to start earlier at high schools, having a chick on site at careers expos would be good - it’s nice to meet someone in the trade.”

Bernadette also highlights the career prospects that the trades offer:

“I’ve completed a degree in business and information management so one day I hope to put it all together (by getting into management).”

John and Peter believe that profiling real women in the trades is a good way to attract more women:

“It is important to profile women in trades. Chloe is one of our apprentices and she features in our etco promotional material and in Electrolink (trades magazine). We also attend careers expos. We want women because of their technical ability, logical thinking, methodological way of working, customer service and it’s less physical than other trades.”

John and Peter reflected on the first women to join etco:

“Our first women were recruited in the 1980s - ‘any barriers I had, [the women] broke down. We’ve always had women.”

“Why would we not want to encourage women?” John

The apprentices are supported throughout their training and they have the opportunity to work for multiple employers over the course of their apprenticeship. Co-ordinators are responsible for the apprentices (they have about 50 apprentices each) and it is their role is to take them through to completion.

John and Peter comment that parental leave and part-time work is possible: ‘The recession has made us more flexible than ever before – as long as we can find a host’.

John and Peter suggest that Electrolink magazine would be a good way to get other employers to consider employing women. Electrolink is the magazine of choice for employers.

Etco also has a ‘Why you should become a host company pamphlet’ to attract employers to take on women. It profiles other women who are already in the trade and promotes that:

‘Women make great electricians – and win apprentice of the year as much as the men’.

John also thinks that women are naturally getting into trades and that the new younger generation of tradesmen “have just got used to it” and this will slowly take over the traditional male attitudes that used to predominate.

For more information visit www.etco.co.nz