Claire swaps cheffing for a career as an electrician

Claire Humphries has never looked back since swapping a frying pan for a toolkit on as she realises her dream to become an electrician.

Having worked as a chef for the last 20 years, Claire worked on private yachts in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean and, in the off season, on luxury barges in France.

Due to family circumstances, Claire returned to the UK and used her cheffing skills for a charity providing palliative and respite care.

Exeter-based Claire 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.

Due to Covid, there were limited cheffing jobs available, so Claire worked for the Office of National Statistics where she helped the government gather data about Covid-19.

The 18 months she spent outside of the catering industry gave her time to take stock and eye up a new challenge.

Claire kept coming back to pursuing a practical career as she had always had a burning desire to try her hand at electrics.

She attended a Women in Trades Day, held by leading housing association, LiveWest, which offered women the chance to try and their hand at plumbing, bricklaying and carpentry as part of the organisation’s drive to increase the number of females in its trades’ workforce.

The event increased Claire’s determination to forge a career in trades and she has now joined LiveWest as an apprentice electrician.

Speaking during National Apprenticeship Week, Claire, 48, said: “I have been working as a chef for the last 20 years and was made redundant.

“I decided I was going to try something new and was driven towards a practical career after attending LiveWest’s Women in Trades Day.

“It just confirmed what I thought I already knew – that I wanted to work in a practical profession.

“It was always a tricky one as retraining at my age could be viewed as daunting. The other bit was whether an apprenticeship was right for someone like me.

“On the surface, an apprenticeship is for young people but that isn’t how it is. LiveWest made it very clear that they like to train people of all ages and your age would not be seen as a barrier.

“That gave me the comfort to apply for an organisation that I know are diverse and inclusive and invest in all of its people.

“So I took the plunge and applied for the role. I was absolutely delighted when I discovered I had been successful.

“LiveWest are a real Living Wage employer, which meant I could realistically afford to apply for an apprenticeship. I haven't looked back since.

“I am learning new skills every day and it just shows you are never too old to do something different with your career.

“You get great support from your manager, and you get a mentor who is there to answer all your questions and ensure you get all the right experience on a day-to-day basis.

“It is the best move I have ever made and I thoroughly recommend doing an apprenticeship with LiveWest. I love going to work every day and couldn’t be happier.”

In an attempt to increase the diversity of its trades’ workforce, LiveWest launched a Women in Trades campaign to ensure more females had access to a practical career in housing.

The social housing provider has appointed seven female trade apprentices in the last year and now has 18 female trades in its 420-strong trades operation.

Yet LiveWest is seeking to increase that figure as it continues to promote inclusion and diversity in all areas of the organisation.

Claire, who lives with her seven-year-old son, Hugo, added: “I realise that trades are traditionally dominated by males, but LiveWest are taking great steps to welcome more women into these areas.

“It is nice to see more women going into trades as in the past it would be only men doing these jobs.

“I am not fazed at all going into this profession and I enjoy working with all types of people.

“Some people might be a bit surprised when a women electrician arrives at their home, but that’s a good thing as things are changing in society.

“I just love the fact that I am working for an organisation with a social purpose and one which cares passionately about giving its customers a great service.”