Former chef, Claire Humphries 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.

She attended LiveWest’s Women in Trades Day in 2022, which gave women the chance to try plumbing, bricklaying and carpentry while showcasing career opportunities within the organisation.

The experience increased Claire’s determination to gain a career in trades and she joined as an apprentice electrician.

As the sector marked Women in Construction Week this March, Claire Humphries, our Apprentice Electrician, said: “There were a couple of women on my course, which was nice. It's becoming more open but I don't think there's many places that are as forward thinking as LiveWest.

“I haven't had any barriers to trades, I've enjoyed it. We should have a lot more women in the industry. The door is open and it's getting wider, there'll be more of us so it'll be great.”

She added that seeing the immediate results of her work makes the job deeply rewarding. While some still hold outdated views, Claire feels her experience has been overwhelmingly positive.

Claire said: “It’s rewarding because if a light’s not working and you fix it, you can see the end results. People who do carpentry, can see their work and it’s brilliant.

“You still get some people who think women shouldn’t be there. LiveWest should actually be proud of what they've done to promote it and to get more women into trades.”

During her college course, Claire found herself one of just three women in a class of 21, but she hopes will improve as more women feel encouraged to enter the sector.

Claire said: “It would be great if you could get that to seven, maybe double it. I think it will come and the colleges cater for women too.

“When you go on an apprentice day here, you see how many more women are there and not only enjoying it, but being given the chance to do a trade.”

Claire believes LiveWest is making meaningful progress but acknowledges there’s still a way to go.

Claire said: “There are still some ceilings to break, those glass ceilings exist everywhere, not just in LiveWest and until we get rid of those ideologies we still have some improvements.”

She also emphasises the unique strengths women bring to customer facing roles, particularly when working in people’s homes.

Claire said: “We bring a lot to the table, we're in people's homes and your house is your home, it's very special. I'm speaking to residents and they say, ‘oh, it's so lovely to chat’. So we approach things differently and that is valued.

“Going forwards it won’t be too long before we are running the roost! A lot of residents get used to seeing women and it's a breath of fresh air.”