Women in Electrical

Whatever the reasons for the scarcity of female electricians working ‘on the tools’, the perception for many would-be female electricians is that the industry is a hostile environment for women. Anecdotally, the evidence of women fighting against stereotypes to fulfil their ambitions in the sector demonstrates the scale of the challenge. For example, Amy Barratt-Singh (@amythesparky), the electrician Ideal Industries is sponsoring through her excellent YouTube channel, told us that during her first job on-site, there were no welfare facilities and she felt too intimidated to ask for them to be provided. Amy is a skilled and ambitious electrician who is much more likely to speak up for herself these days, but her experience highlights the issue facing both would-be female electricians, and the employers that might recruit them.

Read the full interview with Amy here.

50% increase in Homeowners demanding female electricians since last year.

The number of apprenticeships started by women over the last five years has almost doubled. But the fact that more and more homeowners are specifically looking to hire tradeswomen demonstrates that there is the demand for more.

Helen Amos, who runs Pink Electrical Services, said: “The huge motivator for me was taking on a job in which I can work independently if I want to and which gives me the freedom to work around my family and kids. Happily, I think this resonates well with many of my clients who share the same family values.”

A Bright Spark - @electricsbyloz

Through the work I did with my dad I knew electrics was something that sparked my intrigue, and it was a massive part of my life I knew I enjoyed.

"Then, when my big sister became a plumber she really inspired me to take up a trade.”

"I decided to go for an apprenticeship at a large company that already had female engineers and did this straight from high school at 16." From there, Lauren has never looked back - and loves that no two days are ever the same.

Now, she travels all over, completing a whole range of different jobs.

Women bring unique perspectives to the industry, and problem-solving skills, additionally, having female electricians helps break down traditional gender stereotypes and biases, promoting inclusivity and equality in a historically male-dominated industry.

You can read our debut Newsletter in full here.