Check out the latest blog in our series about International Day of Girls and Women in Science. In this blog ourSkilled Trades recruiter, Pip Carlton, had a chat with one of her fantastic Welder candidates, Charlotte Higginson. You can hear all about Charlotte’s career journey and the main challenges that women face in the industry today.
P: Thank you for joining us, Charlotte. We really appreciate your time and are keen to hear about your journey, particularly this week when we are celebrating International Day of Girls and Women in Science.
It is really important for many reasons, that we are sharing the experiences of girls and women in STEM industries, so that we can highlight the challenges that are still faced.
Plus, we can also highlight the success stories that show those considering a career in the industry that there is a place for them to develop a career that they love, despite the preconceptions they may have.
C: I previously managed restaurants, which was very different to welding! I left my career managing restaurants, started the welding courses and joined agencies taking on any kind of work I could possibly do. I was working for Vauxhall, Honda, JLR and Toyota doing quality inspection, rework, factory work, machine maintenance work - I’ve even done picking and packing roles.
After that, I got into Balfour Beatty as a multiskilled operative – I absolutely loved it there but had to leave as it was Monday to Friday, and I couldn’t get my welding courses finished at the same time. The work there was so vast; we did work for London City Airport, Hinkley, Birmingham hospital – no two days were the same really.
So just today, I have been offered a job which involves welding. It is going to teach me a lot more fabrication, it will involve a lot of welding, pressure testing, quality and CNC programming, so there are going to be lots of skills involved in this job.
I have struggled since I got my qualification as no one will take you on without the experience, but you will eventually find that company that is prepared to invest in you and your career. You may have to work first for a company that integrates your skillset and gain that experience. Currently, I am just working with an agency – a job that pays the bills - while trying to find a company to settle with.
P: A lot of people think that when you have the qualifications, you will just fall into a job that requires that skill, but you have worked hard to be given that chance. Do you think there is a difference in the opportunities that have been available to women in your industry? What is your experience in that respect?
C: Yes and no. I think sometimes the older generation can be a bit old fashioned, but I have had good and bad experiences. I have been to places where men have been standoffish at first, because they think you can’t do the work and they will be pulling your weight for you, when that’s not the case.
And in another instance, I was accused of having an affair with a boss at a previous company, and that is because I got ahead. I started organizing, delegating, doing the office work, doing the floor work - and they didn’t like it, but they weren’t putting the effort in. The majority of people were fine, but one person tried to make my life hell, but it didn’t work – you absolutely have to stand up for yourself! Never take a step back because something tries to knock you down. Keep going.
P: That is a challenging experience, and an amazing yet traumatic thing to overcome when you have to work alongside that type of person. You’re a great example of determination and that you can achieve what you want if you keep going. So tell us, where did it all start? When did you decide this was the path you wanted to go down?
C: When I was 16, I applied to be an aeronautical engineer but that didn’t transpire. I was eight years into working in the restaurant business, and it wasn’t challenging enough for me.
So, I first discussed it with friends, but soon after I ended up in a domestic violence relationship. I wasn’t allowed to better my life, I worked non-stop and paid for everything. He would emotionally blackmail and was financially, mentally and physically abusive, which has caused fibromyalgia, something I'll deal with for life.
I eventually left, and was homeless for six weeks, but I was adamant to move forward. I borrowed money to start the courses and took on the agency work from there. I have faced a lot of hurdles but now I am so positive, so passionate and so driven! There were times that I felt like giving up but looking back, I would go through it all again to get to where I am now.
P: It is a real honor for us to hear a story like that. Thank you for sharing that with us.
C: I wanted to tell that story as there are men and women going through similar situations and I want to inspire those people – particularly those women - to keep going and move forward.
