Female Modern Apprentices - what they say

11 September 2006

Female Modern Apprentices list “hands-on” job satisfaction, the ability to earn while they learn, lack of student debt and job portability as factors in their career choice.

Standing back to look at a finished building and knowing she helped build it is a powerful feeling, says 19-year-old apprentice builder Annette Maitland, of Christchurch. She would definitely encourage other women to try a building apprenticeship. “It’s a great trade to get under your belt. You can do anything with it. It can take you round the world.”

Pahiatua apprentice motorcycle mechanic Samantha Rufus, 18, agrees. Her boss started out being an apprentice and now he’s got his own business, she says. “You can pretty much go as high as you want.”

Hamilton apprentice builder Nikki Kettle, 19, plans to build her own house. In the meantime she is happy avoiding student loans. “I couldn’t really just rack up debt and then spend the next ten years paying it back. I wanted to be able to do something and it not cost me a million bucks, and actually come out with a good solid qualification that can take me anywhere.”

Hastings apprentice signwriter Lauren Berry, 18, is amazed more women don’t take to signwriting as a career. “I love it. I don’t wake up in the morning and think, “I’ve got to go into work.”

Hamilton electrical and metering technician Kushla Chapman, 24, loves the physical aspect of her job with Tenix, which also involves a lot of travelling. “I’m a hands-on person and I couldn’t picture myself in an office. We’ve got dozens of different sites that we go to, and I really love the travelling.”

Female Modern Apprentices in trades such as building, joinery, glazing, signwriting, mechanical and electrical engineering speak about their experiences in non-traditional trades, and their employers talk about what motivated them to hire women in Give Girls a Go! Female Modern Apprentices in New Zealand.

 

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