Our leading lady for this month’s feature is Suzanna Blakeley-Monk.
Having been introduced to the world of electrics from an early age, helping her dad during the summer holidays, Suzanna’s career as an electrician was fuelled by her desire to work on sound and lighting in the theatre. “After I graduated with a degree in performing arts, I began looking for jobs in technical theatre. The feedback I was receiving was that I needed a level 3 electrical installation qualification. My training went on from there.”
Suzanna completed her level 2 electrical installation while working part time for her dad, a self-employed electrician. She then completed her level 3 as an apprenticeship incorporating the NVQ. In November, Suzanna passed her AM2 with 96.7% and her regulations exam with 75%.
Although Suzanna has now completed her apprenticeship through Grwp Llandrillo Menai City and Guilds, she believes the clarity of some NVQ courses could be improved: “sometimes, the way the NVQ was worded wasn’t easy to understand and therefore it made it difficult to know what was needed to enrol.”
Suzanna has set up a blog and a Facebook page in an attempt to promote females working in the construction industry. The Anglesey based electrician uses her online platforms to share the difficulties she has faced throughout her training: “Although I might put on a brave face, I have struggled with my confidence, anxiety and dyslexia throughout my studies.” Suzanna has used her blog to post about her experiences as an electrician: giving accounts of how she has found her practical assessments and recalling situations where individuals have made remarks to her about being a female electrician. When asked what changes she would make to the electrical industry and why, Suzanna said: “I would try to end the stigma around female electricians. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of male electricians who think females should just be making tea.”
