Girl / lady electricians....?

[Dan]

Do we have any female electricians on the boards?

 

[Integrity]

I haven't come a cross any (female sparkys) as yet but would have no issues employing one. There defiantly needs to be more female trades people but not sure what you can do about fighting off the belief and in some cases the reality of sexism in the industry which is stopping women from training. I have had 2 women come out for some experiance prior, one was pretty good but then made a mistake ( screw through water pipe) and her confidence never came back so she left. The other was mid 40's and had issues with the physical side, chasing etc. I have also had lads that have benn far worse.

 

[ETO]

One of my old tutors at college was female. But that is the only time I've come into contact with a female spark. I've seen a few female wet pants tough.

 

[Andy78]

I have only ever met 4 female electricians that I can remember. Hardly any round these parts. I know of one that is employed and frequents the same wholesalers as me.
I know of one other that is self employed round here. She seems to have a habit of recommending a mate of mine for jobs that she "doesn't have time for". She tells customers my mate is a good trusted guy that she knows well and has no hesitation in passing the job on to. He has never met her.
All the jobs he has been to the customer has said she spent a couple of hours scratching her head and eroding the customer's confidence then passed the job on. They have all been fault finding jobs that my mate got sorted, or at least diagnosed within 30 minutes.

 

[SteveG]

When my daughter was about 15, she showed a lot of interest in the panels I was building in my workshop. She asked the right questions about the programming and was really interested in the HMI's. (operator screens if you like)
She actually taught me how to lay the screens out in a logical and aesthetically pleasing way (something us blokes are usually not to good at) And gradually I taught her how to program PLC's but her natural bent was for the screens.
Soon, I was giving her the I/O lists and specs and she programmed them for jobs I was doing.
She left school and tried various jobs and one day asked if she could work for me.
I had to think long and hard about introducing her to the workplaces I went to but agreed on a trial.
(silly naive daddy didn't want his precious little girl hearing all the bad language and sexist remarks)

I had no need to worry - she was already used to dealing with overtures from leching idiots.
I am her father but I say this from an entirely neutral point; she is a very attractive girl and while working, the saying 'fly's around ----' about covers what was happening every day.

This had unexpected bonus's though. A lot of engineering managers and bosses wanted me to do jobs that I would normally have to quote for and compete with others for were now allowing me to do the jobs on day-work rates. Even if it was a 'one-man' job they would ask if she was coming, saying things like 'it will be a good learning experience for her'
She had no problem with any - shall we say mans-work, there was always an army of volunteers ready to assist.

Sadly, she left to get married and have children (sadly at losing her skills - but good for the grand bairns)
She has now retrained and delivers babies daily as a midwife.

 

[Dan]

But then who would do all the cooking , washing & ironing Louise!!!

That's what I keep saying!!!

 

[Spoon]

We used to have a couple that posted quite often. Yep, what did happen to Kate?

 

[katysparks]

i think its just not suited to most women and they cant hack the environment.

Part of that is that some sites are filled with arseholes, not that 'most women can't hack it'. Like you get a medal for ignoring and joining in aggressive behavior.

Loads of blokes can't or won't hack it either, dunno if it's about gender. Some sites have been well funny and great to work on, loads of banter. Some sites I've worked on have been aggressive, homophobic, racist and sexist, who wants to work in that.

 

[katysparks]

I'm often told there should be more female electricians, mainly by young females who don't actually want to do the job themselves.
There may be a lot of customers who don't want men in the house, but the business model for electricians who do this kind of work is generally small businesses of one, maybe two vans - for a company of say 3 people to have a third of the workforce take a year's paid sabbatical and then probably not return to work afterwards anyway, it would most likely send the company under and lose 2 other people their jobs.
The next step would be why there aren't more female proprietors of electrical companies - well if the woman in a one woman band electrical company got pregnant it would instantly cease to become financially viable and she'd have to wind it up, losing all her hard work; for this reason it isn't worth the risk in the first place, which is probably why it isn't something women do.

There are some jobs which women just aren't suited to, just as there are jobs which men aren't suited to. Men and women are different - that's not "sexist", it's a fact of life.

How did you manage you make your giant man hands press all the little keys to type this? Typing's a woman's work. you're just not suited to it.

 

[rolyberkin]

I have a girls name if that helps!?

 

[Spoon]

I have a girls name if that helps!?

Don't we all.... I'm Called Loretta at the weekends...

 

[telectrix]

i have nothing against women in the trade, per se, but from my personal experience, i've never seen one that can cope with it. i'm sure there's female sparks out there that can. it's just that the only ones i've met are too far up their own feminist arses. ( no disrespect to any competent female sparks/engineers/train drivers/lineswomen/etc.).

 

[HandySparks]

All the jobs he has been to the customer has said she spent a couple of hours scratching her head and eroding the customer's confidence then passed the job on. They have all been fault finding jobs that my mate got sorted, or at least diagnosed within 30 minutes.

Irrespective of sex, fault finding requires an ability to 'see' the installation or system in your mind and work out what's happened from the clues available using a logical sequence of tests. In other words, the knack:

 

[spary]

there was sara on as well it the same time as kate

 

[Spoon]

I did have woman/man down on my friends list once. Not there now. (Rejected again.....) I forgot her/his name.

 

[J.C.E]

Kelly Electrics - Home - http://www.female-electrician-london.co.uk/index.html
these 'guys' are from around by me- seem like they are doing pretty well...
was on the front of Professional Electrician mag cover recently too