Women In Trades Wednesday- Nikita Ward

Nikita Ward, is a 24 year old Plumber and Gasfitter apprentice (one more block course in early 2020 and she’s finished!). “I love my job because every day is different. Working with your hands, outside what could be better?!”

Nikita was inspired to pursue a career in trades by her partner who is a builder. “I was sick of my job working with kids and he said “why don’t you try a trade?”. I did a pre-trade course and haven’t looked back.

“A typical day for me is: wake up at 5am, drive an hour to work and find out what I'm doing that day, pack the van with the gear we need for the job, get the apprentice and head out to the job site. Most of my jobs involve figuring out where appliances are going to be installed and how to get the pipes to it. There’s a lot of time spent underfloor or in the roof space!.”

Proud career moments for Nikita include being selected as a finalist in Young Plumber of the Year 2018, competing in World Skills 2016- coming in second in Wellington and 4th in the national placings. “It was a really cool experience, I met some cool people, and out of the 8 plumbers competing at nationals, 3 were female which was awesome!”, she has also passed both her gas and plumbing tradesman exams.
As far as future goals go, Nikita says “I would love to have my own company with a team of women!”

“My advice to anyone looking at a trade just do it and keep at it, people will say no but just keep at it and show them u can do it .. also plumbing isn't that bad!”

Women In Trades Wednesday- Billie McDonnell

Billie McDonnell is an apprentice plumber, gasfitter and tradesman drainlayer.

Currently working on one of New Zealand’s biggest building projects (Commercial Bay), with 39 levels, Billie can be doing anything. She’s completed the fire register paperwork for the whole job and when she’s not busy with that Billie is likely to be helping one of the boys on the tools.

Billie’s dad got her into her trade- he’s a qualified plumber and gasfitter. She started out helping out on one of his jobs doing lagging to save money for a farming course, then decided that actually plumbing didn’t look like too bad of a job. Within the week Billie was officially an apprentice for that company.

On what she loves about her trade, Billie says- “I love the fact that plumbing isn’t what everyone thinks it is. Every day is different, I’m doing commercial work and absolutely just loving every aspect of the trade so far.” 

Her most proud career achievement would have to be “still continuing with my trade after I had an accident on site and snapped my femur in half. Following this I didn’t have any hesitation to continue plumbing, and I’m so proud of how far I’ve come and how much I can now do even through all the struggles and problems I’ve had with my leg ever since. Also passing my tradesman drain laying qualification recently was a big achievement for me.”

Future career goals for Billie are running a job site and also becoming qualified in all 3 of her plumbing trades to the highest level.

“I would encourage any women to get into the trade. It’s a bloody good time and you won’t regret it at all. There are struggles and there’s accomplishments, but in the end a trade is way to go.”

Women In Trades Wednesday- Sarah Louise

Sarah is an electrician and heat pump installer. 

She is currently completing an electrical apprenticeship through Etco, and has plans to continue on to complete a refrigeration apprenticeship next. 

On a given day, Sarah could be doing anything from prewiring/pre-piping a new house through to helping install robotic equipment. 

Sarah was originally planning on a career in health, but found she wasn't made for university study, and the idea of working in the same place doing the same thing for the rest of her working life was a depressing thought!

After doing some work experience as an electrical trade assistant, Sarah fell in love with the work- “It was the best decision I have ever made and I have never looked back. The thing I love most is the variety of the work and the challenges involved - no day is ever the same.”

Sarah’s most proud career achievement “has to be just seeing how far I have come. This time two years ago I didn't even know what wire was the live one! I know I have a long way to go, but I am so proud of how far I have already come.”

 Advice she would give others looking to get into electrical trades is- “give it a go! Talk to the wholesalers and electrical companies and offer some trade assistant work if you aren't 100% sure about it. All you need to start out with is common sense, good humour, and an eye for detail - you can learn the rest. As a girl, working in a "male dominated" industry isn't as scary as it first sounds - if anything getting into electrical, you'll end up with the coolest job you've ever had, and some amazing friends across all the trades that will last a lifetime.”

Women In Trades Wednesday- Kate Vandermeer

Kate Vandermeer is a heavy diesel mechanic, holding a level 4 Certificate in Heavy Automotive Engineering (agriculture).

With huge variety to her days, Kate can either be in the field or workshop, working on anything from ride-on mowers to heavy agricultural vehicles like combine harvesters or articulated tractors.

 Her Dad is an HVAC engineer, so engineering and trades were always in the background- he encouraged Kate to consider all options, though he really wanted her to go to university! After high-school, Kate completed trade training in the Air Force, before starting her new apprenticeship at age 30. 

 The variety- in both the size of equipment and the type of work she does are what Kate loves most about being a mechanic. She works in specialist areas such as hydraulics, electrics and engines, as well as carrying out general maintenance and repair work, and helping out in the parts department after she learned her company’s parts system too.

 Around 2 months after switching to agriculture from heavy plant and equipment, Kate was given the task to strip and rebuild the rear axle on a tractor. She says this is her most proud achievement to date, as whilst she had plenty of guidance and support, Kate says “the fact I did 90% of the work myself made me realise I really do have what it takes to be a mechanic.”

 Kate’s future goals include specialising in electrics & electronics- “it’s such a huge area in agriculture, as so much is operated by vehicle computers and we have a growing specialisation in precision agriculture. It takes patience and a good analytical thought process to nut out the challenges, which is perfect for me.” She is also aiming to become a senior tech helping train apprentices- “teaching practical skills is a passion I discovered whilst instructing in the Air Force, and I’m keen to be back in that position”.

 Kate’s advice for others considering mechanical trades is “be brave and don’t quit on your dreams! It can be hard to find that perfect fit initially, but keep building your skills & taking every day as it comes- you’ll make it! Also, get yourself a mentor and support crew- even if it’s random lady tradies on Instagram!”

Women In Trades Wednesday- Hannah Smits

Hannah Smits, Is a 26 year-old General Engineer, Fitter Turner Maintenance from Christchurch.

 No two days are the same for Hannah. Mostly she will be machining on the lathe or mill, but often she can be out on-site doing maintenance and service work, or operating the CNC mills and lathes.

 Hannah was drawn to engineering through her previous job at a gunsmithing store. She started working in the store and logging in rifles for work. As she showed an interest in what was happening in the workshop, they showed her a few basic techniques. The government was then offering a Women in Trades scholarship and Hannah decided to do her pre-trade in General Engineering, where she studied for 6months and worked part time during her studies.

 On what she loves most about her trade, Hannah says “I love the variety I have at work as no day is the same, I also love seeing the finished product and handing it over to the customer.” 

She explains her most proud career achievement: “Finishing my apprenticeship and achieving the certificate was a huge moment for me and proving to myself that I could do it, despite being the only female in my course. I am most proud when I finish off a project and I can hand it over to the customer and they are amazed and happy with the finished product.”

Hannah also loves “the look on most guys faces when they see my long, painted nails- they always ask "how do you do your job with those?!" in which I always reply with "Quite easily thanks, how do you do your job?"

 Hannah’s short-term career goals are to keep gaining skills every day and become the absolute best she can be. Long term, she would love to take on leadership role in her field.

 Advice she would give someone looking to get into engineering /fitter turning would be: “Don’t look back. It's scary going into the pre trade course or starting fresh at a new job. But it is worth it, to prove it to yourself and everyone that you can do it and be amazing at what you do.”

Women In Trades Wednesday- Kat Ricketts

Kat Ricketts is a carpentry apprentice. On a typical day, Kat is first on site, opening up, setting out tools and power cables, then last off site after packing down and cleaning up. Everything in between is changeable day to day. 

A desire for a healthier lifestyle, to be her own boss and to increase her capabilities led Kat to choosing a trade. 

On what she enjoys about her carpentry career, Kat says the planning and communication is what she loves most. It's her strength and something she saw as lacking in most construction projects she worked on before becoming an apprentice.

Kat’s most proud career achievement is securing an apprenticeship within a few weeks. “You always have your doubts when quitting a job without securing another, but the carpentry industry in New Zealand is currently open to female workers. There are historically low unemployment rates and hardly any men to hire. She says now is the time to step in and open the doors wider for women in trade.”

Future career goals for Kat are to be self employed, give back to her community through social housing in some way, keep healthy and live longer.

A couple of pieces of advice from Kat for anyone looking to get into trades: “Get your driver's license and a car, and don’t let the old school mentalities scare you off. They are very old and they'll be dead soon. The future is yours and you'll get to shape the industry going forward.”

Women In Trades Wednesday- Amy Avison

Welcome to our very first Women In Trades Wednesday feature! 

Amy Avison is an apprentice carpenter.

She doesn’t think there's a typical day in her trade, everything is always changing because the work is so diverse.

On how she got into carpentry, Amy says she was offered to try out some exterior maintenance work and loved it. From there she wanted to take it further and found an apprenticeship. 

What she loves about her trade is overcoming the challenges. “Its been testing for me at times. I also love looking back at 'before photos' and comparing them to the end result of a job, it's so satisfying seeing what you've created. The more skills I learn the more confident I become and I enjoy my job more.”

Her most proud career achievement is steadily making her way through her apprenticeship and taking on board all there is to learn- it’s an achievement in itself!

Amy has many career goals -  “but I try not to get too ahead of myself because I know I've only just started out. Once I'm experienced, I am most excited to have my own apprentice. I think I'll be a good teacher. I want to pass on my skills and help someone to be successful.”

Amy’s advice for someone looking to get into a carpentry career would be: You cant go wrong if you're doing an honest days work. Be super pro active and dont give up. Practice being a good listener, advice is free, take it. When you first start out buy some deep heat and get a decent nights sleep! 

Our latest Getting Women into Trades event was the best yet!

The latest Getting Women into Trades event was a sellout! And we think it was our best yet. Attendees had the opportunity to winch a car, tile a shower floor, practice their digger skills and weild some powertools.

We were then inspired by our wonderful Mitre 10 Trade Awardee Flora Rivers Keynote Speech (more on that soon!) and learnt a lot about being a woman in the trades from our panelists.

Some lucky attendees even took away prizes - including a TV!!!

We couldn't do it without our sponsors! Show them some love and check out their social media and websites for all the cool stuff they are doing to support women in trades:

• Proclima Hub
• Mitre 10 Trade
• BCITO (Building Construction Industry Training Organisation)
• MITO
• MPTT (Maori and Pacifika Trades Training)
• Pacific Steel
• Skills
• ATT
• Competenz
• Electrix
• ETCO (Electrical Training Company)
• Johnstone Construction
• Masterlink
• New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)
• NZMA
• New Zealand Marine & Composites ITO (NZMAC)
• New Zealand Steel

Congratulations to Krissy Danford - NAWIC/BCITO Awards Finalist!

We are very proud that WIT's own wonderful Treasurer Krissy Danford has been recognised for her hard work by the NAWIC-BCITO judges. Krissy is a finalist in this year’s Construction Services category.

Krissy joined the WIT National Committee in early 2017 and has been the force behind the scenes keeping the finances on track and the IRD happy. She is also Administration and Finance Manager and on the Advisory Board at Johnstone Construction.

Krissy has been instrumental in not just managing WIT's finances but organising the Johnstone Construction digger to be available for women to “have a go” on at the WIT events - a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of them!

Krissy unfortunately will not be able to make the Awards evening but she has a good excuse, in addition to all her amazing feats above she is adding Everest Base Camp to the list.

Tamara Croft, who works with Krissy on WIT, Johnstone Construction and a new venture ModBuild, loves working alongside her;

“Krissy is a get stuff done person. And she does it all with grace and humour - she is a lot of fun to work with! It is wonderful to see her being honoured by the construction industry for her passion and commitment to it.”

Read more about Krissy's construction journey...

Hear more about our 2019 panelists...

Another year, another fantastic event encouraging women to consider a career in trades. We cannot do it without our wonderful panelists who share their honest, funny and heart warming accounts of being a woman "on the tools" (or managing them!)

Squadron Leader Rebecca Magdalinos, Mechanic and Aircraft Engineer - Royal New Zealand Air Force

Throughout her engineering career Squadron Leader Magdalinos has held a number of command posts and staff roles, served on all four Bases, led engineering teams to Australia, the UK and the USA and deployed operationally to Egypt. She currently leads the RNZAF youth investment/outreach programmes (STEM focus).

Throughout her career Squadron Leader Magdalinos has been a staunch advocate for, and integral in, the creation and delivery of a variety of diversity and inclusion initiatives. In 2012 Squadron Leader Magdalinos was a founding member of the NZDF LGBTIQ+ support network OverWatch holding various leadership positions within that network for several years. She has also been integral in the Women’s Development space for both RNZAF and NZDF and more recently co-developed the School to Skies residential program as the inaugural Officer in Charge.

A graduate of the Global Women Breakthrough Leaders program (2017) and recipient of the Defence Meritorious Service Medal in 2018.

Squadron Leader Magdalinos is passionate about creating opportunity for all people to live into their potential and invests strongly in people whilst fulfilling her engineering obligations. She is married to Anna and has a sassy little two year old daughter, Abigail.

Cassidy Repia, Automotive Refinisher at Bush Road Panelbeaters

Cassidy is aged 22 and has just finished her apprenticeship in Automotive Refinishing (car painting) through MITO, working at Bush Road Panelbeaters in Auckland.

She was recently announced as the 2019 recipient of the Collision Repair Association Apprentice of the Year – Golden Gun award. A huge feat for the only female in the running in New Zealand!

Cassidy was selected as one of four apprentices to feature in MITO’s digital marketing campaign targeted to school leavers in Oct-Nov 2018 and Feb-Mar 2019. View her MITO profile and video.

Eddie Green, Maintenance Supervisor at Pacific Steel

Eddie is the Maintenance Superintendent at one of Pacific Steels plants and joined the panel to give the "employer" perspective of being (or hiring) a woman in trades.

Pacific Steel are a host company for mechanical and electrical apprentices, and Eddie also manages the apprentice scheme for the company. Eddie has been a leading figure to make Pacific Steel a more diverse and inclusive workforce and a visible supporter of females in the trades. This is demonstrated by Pacific Steel now having a 50% female participation rate in their apprentice scheme (6 of their 12 apprentices are female).

Sophia Hattingh, Apprentice at Pacific Steel

Six months ago Sophia started her electrical apprenticeship at Pacific Steel where she has become a highly valued member of the team. Sophia has a university background but chose to take up an apprenticeship once she finished her University studies and has not looked back since.