We are celebrating International Women’s Day which calls for a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.
This year’s theme is Embrace Equity and the campaign aims to get the world talking about why equal opportunities are not enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.
To ensure we embrace equity, our Women in Trades campaign is providing opportunities for all women to secure a career in trades regardless of age, background, culture, religion or ethnicity. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive and diverse employer.
We appointed 26 apprentices, trainees and improvers last year and seven of those were women which represents 27% of the new arrivals.
It means we now have 16 women working across our 420-strong trades workforce.
That equates to four per cent of our total workforce and LiveWest is aspiring to increase that to five per cent in the near future.
Claire Humphries decided to take a career change after working as a chef for the last 20 years on private yachts in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
Due to family circumstances, Claire returned to the UK and used her cheffing skills for a charity providing palliative and respite care.
Exeter-based Claire was unexpectedly made redundant at the age of 46, leaving her at a crossroads as she weighed up her options for the next step in her career.
Now he is living her dream to pursue a practical career and has become an apprentice electrician.
Claire said: “It was always a tricky one as retraining at my age could be viewed as daunting. The other bit was whether an apprenticeship was right for someone like me.
“On the surface, an apprenticeship is for young people but that isn’t how it is. LiveWest made it very clear that they like to train people of all ages and your age would not be seen as a barrier.
“That gave me the comfort to apply for an organisation that I know are diverse and inclusive and invest in all of its people.”
Georgia Roberts joined the Royal Navy as a Communications Specialist in 2008 in a role that saw her maintain the safety of ships and other vessels using radar and solar systems.
She left the forces in 2021 to embark on a career in nursing.
But her passion for all things practical deepened and she has now launched a new career as an apprentice Gas Engineer.
Georgia, 31, said: “I thought my dream had gone as I am in my 30s and couldn’t really afford to start again as an apprentice.
“I am someone who used to do DIY around the house when I was younger. I always like doing practical jobs and trying my hand at different things.
“It is the best move I have ever made, and I thoroughly recommend doing an apprenticeship with LiveWest. I love going to work every day and couldn’t be happier.”
Zoe Jackson did not kick-start her own journey in the housing sector until she was in her 30s after prioritising bringing up her two children, Joshua and Simone.
Her rise through LiveWest has seen her become the Regional Operations Manager where she looks after kitchen and bathroom replacements, the upgrade of empty homes and day-to-day repairs.
Taking pride in her own journey, Zoe is thrilled to see women being given the springboard to achieve their desired career route.
Zoe added: “I find it exciting that things are slowly changing, and more and more women are showing an interest in trades.
“Trades are still dominated by males, and you can’t change everything overnight. But bit by bit more and more women are coming on board.
Liane Sheppard, our Director of Property Services, has spearheaded our drive to open up more opportunities for women to gain a pathway into a trades career.
Liane said: “International Women’s Day is a celebration of female equality, and we fully support it. LiveWest is an organisation which values and celebrates diversity and inclusivity.
“We have some great female role models already working across our trades and our recent attempts to increase our female trades workforce has been warmly welcomed.
“For us, it is about empowering more women to pursue a trades career. The message is clear from LiveWest – you can achieve your career aspirations with us.”