Opening doors, shifting mindsets, creating connections

Last week, Wintec hosted its sixth annual Wāhine in Trades and Engineering event at its Rotokauri Campus. The booked-out event was an opportunity to shine a light on wāhine working across trades and engineering, and to show the next generation just how many career pathways are out there.

Wāhine in Trades and Engineering event panel (L-R): Carla Carruthers (graduate engineer, Titus Consulting Engineers), Tamsin Brown (builder), Melinda Scandlyn (steel fabricator, Waikato Milking Systems), Brooke Bowen (plumbing apprentice, Urlich Plumbing Ltd), Elise Butler (pastry chef and bakery tutor, Wintec), Pam Roa (managing director, Longveld).

Nearly half of New Zealand's workforce is female, yet women make up just 3% of on-the-tools tradies and 14% of the engineering workforce. Wintec team manager and event organiser, Amy Opperman says that’s an opportunity to be ‘grabbed with both hands’.

“Industry is calling for more skilled professionals, and there’s never been a better time for more wāhine to explore careers in trades and engineering.”

At the event, six panellists shared their career journeys, challenges, and advice with attendees, showing that there are many pathways into rewarding, in-demand careers.

According to Amy, the power of the panel is authenticity.

Amy Opperman, team manager and Wāhine in Trades and Engineering event organiser, Wintec

“For a young woman considering a career in a traditionally male-dominated industry, seeing someone who has walked that path, hearing their story and being able to ask questions can make an abstract possibility feel real.

“The panel don’t sugar-coat it. They are honest about the hard work, resilience, and commitment required to build a successful career.”

Wintec graduate and civil engineer, Carla Carruthers, joined the panel to share her journey into engineering.

Hooked on engineering at a young age, Carla completed a Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Civil) at Wintec before being fast-tracked into the industry as a graduate engineer at Titus Consulting Engineers.

“By year 13, I had decided that engineering was what I wanted to study. The problem was that I hadn’t taken calculus or physics. I was told by two teachers and two careers advisors that I should consider a different career path.”

Carla contacted the dean of engineering at the University of Waikato and bartered her way into getting accepted. Keen to work in the industry, Carla then transferred to Wintec to complete a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

Three years on, Carla specialises in water engineering, flood modelling, and coastal inundation assessments, dividing her time between office-based design work and getting out on site.

“We do have to deal with difficult contractors or challenging situations on site, and that can be intimidating, especially when you’re still finding your feet. I’ve learnt that being confident, communicating clearly, and knowing your stuff goes a long way. You earn respect by being able to stand your ground.”

She is quick to credit her employer, Titus Consulting Engineers, for her progress in the industry.

“They’ve always backed me, given me opportunities and taught me how to handle difficult situations, which has helped me build the confidence to hold my own in what can sometimes be a male-dominated industry.

“The construction and engineering industry is a great industry to be part of, and we need more women in it. 

Says Carla: “if I could give you one piece of advice, it would be: don’t let someone else decide what you’re capable of.”

Pam Roa, Wāhine in Trades and Engineering event panellist and managing director, Longveld.

Industry speaker Pam Roa is on a mission to support confident wāhine entering engineering trades and making sure they shine.

A longstanding advocate for trades training, in 2014 she helped establish the Girls in Engineering programme with Wintec to encourage more wāhine into engineering trades through the Waikato Trades Academy.

Engineering is part of Pam’s Day job as managing director of Longveld, a Waikato-based stainless steel specialist providing precision-engineered metal to customers around the world.

“I grew up in the era where, at high school, we were told girls can do anything, then we got jobs and were told you have to be twice as good as a bloke to earn your place. But I loved being hands-on in a manufacturing environment, and my approach was to stand tall, knuckle down, and develop a lot of grit.”

Pam says that starting Longveld was an opportunity to raise the bar every day: “about how we were going to behave differently, to create a workplace where everyone can thrive. The culture we have now has been built on that piece by piece.”

“Our trade requires meticulous attention to detail, commercial nous, and teamwork. Women have those traits in spades. But right now, most employers are only hiring from half of the talent pool.”

Pam describes a workplace where women succeed in trades as what normal should look like.

“Find a place that will appreciate you. Look for the tells: proper facilities, PPE gear sized for you, small things you shouldn’t have to ask for, to give you that signal whether they've thought about you at all.”

Her advice to any wāhine looking to work in engineering and the trades is to stand out.

There was plenty of opportunity for pātai from attendees at this year's Wāhine in Trades and Engineering

“If you want to be ‘the-one-to-hire’, there’s three things employers are looking for: humility, deep curiosity, and an ownership mentality. That means caring enough to make something right, even if it isn’t your responsibility.”

Amy believes that Wāhine in Trades and Engineering is contributing - in terms of attracting more women into the trades - but admits that there is still work to do.

“If we are serious about changing the demographic of trades and engineering, we need to do more than tell young women that these careers are available to them. We need to help them see the opportunities, the people, the pathways, and importantly, to believe that they belong.”

“Our panellists are advocates and allies for wāhine entering a changing workforce. Their visibility and leadership help challenge assumptions about who belongs in trades and engineering and what leadership in these industries can look like.”

Says Amy: “at Wintec we’re proud to work with the trades and engineering industry, to remove barriers challenge perceptions, and encourage wāhine to chase a rewarding future for themselves, their whānau, and community.”

Melinda Scandlyn, Wāhine in Trades and Engineering event panellist and steel fabricator, Waikato Milking Systems.

Wāhine in Trades and Engineering panel: Pam Roa (managing director, Longveld), Brooke Bowen (plumbing apprentice, Urlich Plumbing Ltd), Tamsin Brown (builder), Melinda Scandlyn (steel fabricator, Waikato Milking Systems), Carla Carruthers (graduate engineer, Titus Consulting Engineers), and Elise Butler (pastry chef and bakery tutor, Wintec).

Sponsors: Plumbing World, Active Electrical Suppliers, Titus Consulting Engineers, New Zealand Certified Builders, and The Toolshed.