Caitlin didn’t need any convincing however, deciding on her career path towards the end of high school. “I was halfway through Year 12 and still not sure what to do after school,” she says. “My mum was the one to suggest it as my grandfather and uncle are electricians, and my Dad was an electrical linesman.

“A family friend owned an electrical company and let me come and do some work experience while I was still in Year 12. I loved it so I started my apprenticeship the week after I finished school, and here I am 10 years later.”

Highlighting one obstacle for women wanting to enter a trade, Caitlin had to fight for her right to do the job she wanted. “Doing work experience in a trade wasn’t as readily offered as an option to girls as it was to boys in when I was in school,” she explains.

“I had to convince a few people that it was a good idea before I was allowed to do it,” Caitlin says, which leads on to some of the odd reactions she’s experienced in response to being a female electrician.

“I’ve knocked on doors and had people think I was a police woman, a stripper, a hawker ... It makes for a pretty awkward conversation when you have to explain that you’re just there to fix their hot water unit.”

Additionally, rather than juggling university and a part time job to get by, Caitlin had the luxury of earning money while she studied her apprenticeship. With university education becoming more expensive and eventual employment opportunities scarce, young Australians are missing out on lucrative career prospects within the trade sector.

“Companies are specifically looking to hire more girls in the industry, as they have proven to have great attention to detail and work ethic,” says Caitlin. “It’s also becoming far more accepted and encouraged to have females on site every day.”

“I think there’s also a bit of a stereotype people have in mind when they think of girls in trades, and that can put girls off a bit. You can still be a feminine female and do a trade.”