Despite providing great employment opportunities, less than 3% of electricians are women. With global demand for electricians rising and the sector facing a massive labour shortage, providing practical ways to entice and retain women in the electrical industry will be key to meeting the rising global demand for expert electricians.
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- Why women should be electricians
- Skills women need to join the electrical trade
- Challenges for women in the electrical industry
- The benefits of female electricians to the electrical industry
- How to encourage more women to become electricians
1. Why women should become electricians
Joining the electrical trade provides women with job security, competitive pay and job satisfaction, as well as the opportunity to use critical problem-solving skills physically and practically.
In a world where women, by large, have more student debt than men yet earn less in their lifetime, encouraging women to start electrical apprenticeships can help them spend less on their education and earn more in their careers.
Qualified electricians also often have the flexibility to determine what style of work suits them best, whether it be full-time employment, subcontracting, or launching their own electrical business. It opens up a world of opportunities where women can choose their ideal work arrangement.
Benefits
Some of the best benefits for women considering becoming an electrician are:
- Financial freedom: Becoming an electrician is one of the highest-paid ‘blue collar’ jobs you can get without a university degree.
- Business ownership: Over 9% of the electrical business in the USA is owned by women, despite only making up less than 3% of the workforce.
- Practical skills: Completing an electrical apprenticeship allows women to gather practical, lifelong skills.
- Job satisfaction: Electricians can experience high job satisfaction due to the immediate, positive impact of their work on customers' lives and safety.
- Diversity in roles and responsibilities: The profession offers a variety of tasks that prevent monotony and promote continuous learning and challenge.
- Job security: There’s a growing demand for electricians, particularly due to global efforts to increase the use and structures needed to generate renewable energy.
2. Skills women need to join the electrical trade
As electricians, complex problem-solving and mathematical skills are essential, as well as the ‘soft skills’ needed to be a valued employee or develop a reputable business, such as clear communication and empathy. Whilst this is a generalisation, women often succeed as electricians due to their tenancy towards providing practical and supportive results to customers and their desire to learn.
Being an electrician also requires physical effort, with the expectation that a qualified electrician should be able to carry 50lbs/22kgs unassisted and be comfortable working in enclosed spaces.
3. Challenges for women in the electrical industry
While trades as a whole suffer from a misplaced reputation of being a lesser alternative to a university degree; women also face any of the following:
- Lack of support by male supervisors or co-workers.
- Sexual harassment.
- Failure to receive the proper training or support to do all aspects of the job.
- Bullying, or a lack of respect.
While anecdotal evidence by female electricians shows that everyone’s experience is different, going into a trade is rarely presented as an option for women. This can mean that the women who decide to join the electrical trade are forced to navigate the preconceived notions of those around them. These stereotypes, like a fear that women are less likely to get their hands dirty, or that women don’t possess the physical strength to fit the demands of the job, create obstacles for women throughout their professional lives and cause undue pressure to prove their suitability.
Ironically, the physical and mental demands of the electrical trade are comparable to the female-dominated field of nursing; female nurses are expected to work 12+ hour shifts on their feet, lift patients and medical equipment and calculate complex, life-saving decisions, yet these are rarely listed as reasons why women shouldn’t enter the role.
Trade roles also do not account for women’s disproportionate caretaking responsibilities compared to men. This can cause additional challenges when your job requires you to be on-site or on the road before 7 am, yet much of childcare is designed around a typical 9-5 workday structure
4. The benefits of female electricians to the electrical industry
Getting women into the trades is critical to the longevity of the trade. In the US alone, there will be a demand for 80,000 jobs per year available for electricians over the next ten years. According to the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), “7,000 new electricians join the industry each year, but 10,000 retire from it,” putting the number of skilled electricians available at a growing deficit. With a growing appetite for sustainable energy solutions, the demand for electricians across the globe is expected to rise.
Encouraging diversity in the workplace also increases the opportunities to challenge the status quo, try new methods and experiment with solutions and creates shifts in the workplace culture. What the electrical trade needs are skilled workers, and work environments where workers can teach skills quickly, safely and effectively.
5. How to encourage more women to become electricians
Change doesn't happen overnight! Women are leading the change within the electrical industry; using social media, community programs, school outreach programs and their expertise to provide supportive work environments and new opportunities. Globally, women are gaining immense followings on social media by presenting their honest depictions of life as a female electrician. Women are also rising through the ranks to become world industry leaders, pioneering more diversity and sustainable practices in the electrical industry.
Tonya Hicks
A trailblazer for women of colour in the electrical industry, Tonya Hicks began her first company, Power Solutions, Inc. in 2000, after a year of being discharged to 'cleaning the office' during her first electrician jobs. Since then, her company has grown to lead the way in renewable energy, electrification, and EV charging solutions. In 2015, she launched Women Do Everything LLC, a non-profit aiming to encourage women in the trades. Since 2020, Tonya founded she-EV, an initiative to provide safer EV charging locations for women, elderly, and disabled persons. She aims to launch the she-EV Car Club providing community support, educational resources, and reliable products in 2024.
Cathleen Cockin
Switching positions from a legal executive to a full-time sparkie may've turned some heads, but Cathy has no regrets. Initially switching due to a desire to rewire her own home, she fell in love with the physical demands of the role and the satisfaction of completing physical tasks. Since starting her company, Little Miss Electrical in Huddersfield, United Kingdom, Cathy has expanded her team, offering apprenticeships and full-time positions to female electricians in her area.
Lexi Abreu
More commonly known as 'lexthelectrician', Lexi Abreu has over a million followers on TikTok where she provides regular updates on her life as a young woman in the electrical trade. Her popular videos include "Why I Love My Job" and responding to complaints that her long nails would impact her capability in her role. Her videos show prospective female electricians that joining the electrical trade doesn't require sacrificing your feminine side, while also showcasing the joys and struggles of the job.
Amy Barratt-Singh
Since 2020, 'Amy the Sparky' has been promoting women in the electrical trade through her social media channels, including her YouTube Podcast, 'Women in the Trades' and Instagram account. A longtime Tradify user, we brought her in for an interview, where she discussed her hope for expanding her social media community and changing the way we think about women in the trades.
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