A 23-year-old apprentice is hoping to become a role model for women who want to get into a trade.
Katie Jones finished school not knowing what she wanted to do and after completing her A-Levels was told that she should go to university despite having no interest in further education. The teen at the time knew she wanted to get hands-on and after leaving college she found herself working for a catering company that toured the country with musicians.
Katie was touring with Westlife when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and she was forced to move back home after travelling up and down the country. But she used the time at home to adjust and quickly found herself looking at taking on a trade.
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She told the ECHO: "You don't see many women in a trade. I originally went to college and studied public services. I wanted something hands-on and not be sat in an office. I got good grades in college and felt pushed into university but that wasn't what I wanted to do. I was interested in property and gas engineering just seemed the best fit."
Katie, from Burscough but attending Southport College alongside her apprenticeship, has been working as a gas engineer apprentice for the last 18 months and said she would love more women in the industry. She said: "Women could do so well in it.
"People want women doing these jobs in their home because they're so used to it being men. I want to inspire more women to do these types of jobs. You're pushed to go to university or an apprenticeship in social care or beauty but we can do these types of jobs.
"If someone had encouraged me at 16 I would have done it but no one was there to tell me this was an option."
One downside that Katie revealed was also the lack of workwear that is suitable for women on the job. She said: "There's hardly any women's workwear about. I was working in walking pants for the year. That's one issue with hardly any women in the trade."
Now, Katie is in the semi-finals of a national apprenticeship competition hosted by Screwfix. The apprentices that go on to the final will get the opportunity to share their expertise and aspirations with a panel of industry-leading judges.
The panel includes representatives from Screwfix, the Federation of Master Builders, the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, and the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting.
Jack Wallace, Marketing Director for Screwfix, said: "At Screwfix, we are passionate about pioneering the dedication of trade apprentices to support them in their careers and highlight the benefits of becoming a professional tradesperson. Our own research shows that whilst almost all tradespeople would recommend a career in the trade, over 90% think more should be done to encourage people into the industry.
"The annual Screwfix Trade Apprentice award is a great example of how we look to reward the future champions of the trade. Our trade apprentices are an inspiration to the next generation, shining a light on the countless opportunities the construction industry has to offer."
Should Katie win when will go home with a trade bundle worth an eye-watering £10,000.
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