| By :
Martin Hofschroer
More should be done to encourage women to become electricians in order to combat inequality in the industry. The Electrical Contractors Association revealed in 2003 that only one in every 600 electrical apprentices was female because employers were not doing enough to promote the industry to women. Apprentice electrician Clair Williams told the BBC that girls need to be shown the benefits of becoming an electrician from an early age and society's perception towards women working in the construction sector needs to change. She said: "Being an electrician is not something that appeals to girls at school because it's not presented in the right way. We are pushed into certain areas when we make our career choice and even before that, when we choose our options at GCSE." Clair went onto say that the United Kingdom was suffering from a shortage of skilled people who had completed electrical courses and plumbing courses and this was a result of a small female workforce. She told the BBC: "There are a lot of women who have the potential but aren't applying for a job that would really suit them." Clair also said that more women should take electrical courses as the work does not have to include physical labour as there are jobs such as testing and inspecting which are available. Female electricians should not be dissuaded from joining the industry as they are unlikely to experience sexual discrimination even though the sector is male dominated, according to Ms Williams. Clair said that an electrician will always be respected if they possess the relevant skills regardless of their gender. Diane Johnson recently struck a blow for women in the electrical industry when she became the first female president of the Electrical Contractors Association in the organisation's 109-year history. Ms Johnson said that she was determined to act as an inspiration to other females and will act to integrate more women into the electrical industry by encouraging them to take electrical courses. She told the Northwich Guardian: "Fifty per cent of people out there are women and we don't appeal to them. They can always start small, for example in the domestic sector and be self-employed, and still have a family." Ami Cowee became the first female to complete electrical installation courses at Bracknell & Wokingham College when she graduated in 2009, reported BBC Berkshire. She told the news provider that she was inspired to take electrical courses by her dad who is a DIY devotee.
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