It’s not going to come as a huge surprise to anyone that the electrical industry, and indeed all the trades, are overwhelmingly male dominated.
In fact, according to research by the NICEIC, it’s still the case that less than 1 in every 1,000 electrical contractors is female.
This surely positions the electrical industry as one of the most male dominated in the UK.
We think it’s about time this changed, which is why Logic4training has joined a campaign by by electrical wholesalers QVS Direct to address this gender imbalance.
Women in Electrical campaign
The
Women in Electrical campaign features interviews with women in various positions across the industry, including electricians, business owners, field officers for regulatory bodies, and many more.
It also features interviews with several major industry organisations, such as the NICEIC, Semta, NAPIT, SECTT, and more.
James Ellis of QVS Direct explained why this campaign is important: “Unfortunately, working in the electrical industry is largely still considered a ‘job for the boys’ and it’s about time this changed.
By not providing the encouragement and support for women to enter the industry, we’re missing out on the potential of so many skilled electricians, engineers and entrepreneurs.
“This campaign is an attempt to encourage more women to join this fantastic industry, as well as showcase some of the amazing work women are already doing in the electrical sector. We hope this is just the first step in a growing and ongoing campaign.”
What the industry says...
Our very own Jonny Lawrence gave his thoughts and advice on the issue, and believes that the problem needs to be addressed as early as possible.
“Parents and schools have a responsibility to ensure boys and girls feel that any type of role is open to them, rather than pushing young people towards traditionally male and female jobs.
At the moment, most girls are just not exposed to the experiences that might make them consider working in the trades.
“Gender stereotyping begins from the moment we’re born; little girls get dolls and boys get tool kits, harmless enough, but as we first make sense of the world through play, girls are immediately channeled away from practical pursuits.
“This continues into school, which is where the real opportunity to inspire should take place. Careers advisors and teachers need to make sure that both girls and boys are given information about all different types of job roles.
Teachers should be identifying students with the right attributes, regardless of their gender, and representatives from industry need to be going into schools to speak to young people.”
One of the women interviewed for the campaign is Natasha Clarke-Withers, owner of Get Her Trade, a UK directory of tradeswomen, and she echoes this sentiment:
“I think we should be changing the curriculum to show a range of trades from electrics to plumbing and this will give kids a feel for what they will achieve as a career.
We need to do more to promote a trade as an option and showcase the many benefits, from working for yourself to a great salary.
“The reason many don’t even consider it is because they don’t see it as an option.”
QVS Direct intend on growing this campaign over the year to feature more and more influential industry names and businesses to hopefully provide a vital resource for women considering the trades as a career.
Read Jonny’s full interview here
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