DIY enthusiast Orla Gorman is gaining a range of skills for life as part of her apprenticeship journey with LiveWest.
After making a king size bed from scratch during lockdown, Orla developed a passion for breaking into a practical profession and turning her hobby into a career.
Only 19 at the time, Orla applied to us for a Multi-Trade Technician apprenticeship role and, despite more than 300 people applying for 18 roles, she secured the job.
Just over a year after beginning her apprenticeship, Orla has had the opportunity to try her hand at plumbing, carpentry and brick laying.
And she couldn’t be happier as she says she is learning new skills every day which will serve her well in her life.
Orla said: “My apprenticeship has been great, and I have enjoyed every part of it.
“I have picked up so many skills and all of these skills are for life. They will serve me well both in my future career and my home life.
“Being a Multi-Skilled Technician means I get to sample a range of trades and I never thought I would be able to have a go at things like plastering and plumbing.
“I am just waiting for my latest college test results to come back and then I can move onto the next stage.
“Once those are passed, you become an Improver which means you start to work towards going out on your own. Eventually I will have my own van and be able to complete jobs on my own.
“LiveWest has been so supportive throughout the last year and given me lots of opportunities for me to develop my skills and grow as a person.”
Orla is from an academic family with her dad working as a social worker and her mum is a Governance Officer at the City of Bristol College.
She applied for an apprenticeship with LiveWest after we launched a Women in Trades campaign designed to increase the number of women in our trades workforce.
LiveWest 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 its total workforce and LiveWest is aspiring to increase that to five per cent in the near future.
Orla added: “LiveWest is doing a great job at welcoming women into trades.
“I have seen quite a few women out on the job, and it is great to see women are being encouraged to get into trades.
“There is definitely a change in attitudes in society. It was thought at one time that women can’t do some jobs, but people are now realising that they can.
“People are realising that women are strong and skilled enough to do the same job. It not just men who can lift heavy objects, saw a piece of wood or fix a radiator.
“Some customers are still surprised to see a women trades person arrive at their home and one lady gave me a hug the other day and said congratulations. She said how great it was that more women are doing these jobs.
“None of my friends are surprised I am doing this as I have always been practical.
“I am in demand at home and have been asked to fix a couple of leaks and also to do some tiling.
“My parents know it is free work, but I love it and it is great to be able to give something back to them for all the support they have given me.”
For more information on a career with LiveWest, click here.