Watch out Huddersfield - Here come the girls

Published by Gareth Holmes for Sanctuary Housing Association in Housing and also in Education

The maintenance industry has been traditionally seen as a man’s world, yet a growing number of females are not just entering the sector but are determined to succeed. Sanctuary Maintenance, a total facilities management provider, has seen the number of females applying for the maintenance apprentice programme increase over the last few years.

Local Huddersfield teenager Jess Senior is part of the growing number of women working hard to complete the required training and on-the-job experience so that they can become fully qualified maintenance operatives.

Jess originally wanted to be a teacher, but after attending college quickly found that the teaching profession wasn’t for her. 16 year old Jess said, “Once I decided that teaching wasn’t for me, it didn’t take me long to decide that the right choice was to get an apprenticeship within the building and maintenance industry.

My Granddad and two brothers are involved in the industry and it is something that I have always found interesting and enjoyable. I was looking for an apprenticeship that would provide an all-inclusive approach to maintenance as I was unsure as to which discipline I wanted to specialise in, which is why I really wanted to join the Sanctuary Maintenance scheme. I was thrilled when I was given the call to say that I had been successful and have loved every minute so far, even the cold mornings!”

Whilst it may still be shocking to some because of the preconceived notions that only men can be successful in physically demanding trades, the signs show that more and more women are getting into male dominated industries through the apprentice route.

Andrew Thornton, Trade Supervisor at Sanctuary Maintenance said, “Jess has fitted in brilliantly with the team. Determined to get stuck in and learn which is exactly what we look for in an apprentice, whether they are male or female.”