Industry Diversity
Is this a man’s world? Growing diversity in the electrical industry
By Nico Van der Merwe, Vice President Home & Distribution at Schneider Electric T
he country’s workforce is becoming more varied and diverse, but women are still facing obstacles in the
electrical industry. There are many exceptional female electricians and engineers out there, but they remain a minority in what is a male-dominated environment. In the UK there is only one female in every 1,000 electrical contractors, and there has been little upwards movement for decades. In nature, no closed system can prosper. The continued success of the electrical industry depends on a diversity of ideas, skill sets and interests. While many in the UK struggle to find the services they need due to a shortage of skilled tradespeople, there is no excuse for women to be excluded. It is in the interests of both electrical contracting businesses and the country at large to encourage more women to get involved.
Jobs for the boys? It’s fair to say that there’s a common stigma in our sector that certain jobs are only suitable for men or women. Gender stereotyping sadly persists to this day. It rears its head during site visits, in conversations with customers and in interactions with suppliers. Female electricians have typically had to work harder to prove themselves and show their technical skills are equally as good as their male colleagues. To drive change and encourage more women
to get involved, companies should develop and adopt new standards for competency and leadership evaluation. Women are no less suited to the job than men. Female-typed traits such as priority-setting, delegating, growing talent, collaborating, and communicating through complex layers with customers are great assets to have in any electrical contracting business. Physical strength does matter of course.
Working with medium and light voltage equipment requires a healthy physique. Electricians require a certain amount of fitness and strength to carry heavy equipment, ground enclosures and charge circuit breakers. Yet, this does not preclude women from doing the job and it certainly has not prevented many from being successful in the industry. A far more important part of the job is
24 | electrical wholesalerAugust 2019
technical knowledge and the ability to deal with customers. Electricians often come across customers or clients with no technical background. Technical questions are bound to come up, and trying to explain an electrician’s work in layman’s terms is no easy task. Aside from physicality, communication skills are vital to provide excellent client service. In the end, taking a closer look at
organisational and social barriers is helpful for understanding the current state of female participation in the industry. To reap the rewards of female involvement, contracting businesses should be willing to invest in programmes and a
workplace culture that enable female electricians to perform at their best. Women, in turn, will add value to the business by bringing in diverse perspectives and skill sets.
Hearts and minds To change the gender makeup of our industry, we will first need to change minds. Assumptions and stereotypes are more deeply rooted than any legacy technology. Making progress will take time and education, but to have any appreciable impact it is important to start at the source. This is not to accuse existing contractors or customers, but to call out the expectations that
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