Charlie Hardie decided to change her career from working in a care home, to embark on a new adventure to be a qualified multi-skilled technician.
Currently building her experience with our Voids team, the apprentice helps prepare our existing homes for customers moving in to the property.
The trade apprentice said: “It is nice when you’re all done and cleaned up. It must be so nice for the new people coming in and it’s all fresh and clean, and ready to go. It is quite satisfying.
“I do think about it quite a lot, it feeling rewarding to play a part in getting the home ready for our customers because, we’ve met some of the new tenants when they come to look around, and we talk about things like the dog walking places nearby.
“It’s really nice to think that you’ve helped get the home ready for someone to come move into and it’s nice to be a part of the process.
“I’ve had one experience where we had a property come to our Voids team. We transformed the property and then we met a little family that were moving in there. It’s just really nice to see to the house have a new life.”
Charlie reflects on our Women in Trades Campaign and how happy it makes her feel to work for an organisation that encourages women to pursue a trades career.
Our Women in Trades Campaign began in 2021 and has since been a platform to share the voices of our women in trades, share our support and encourage others to follow in their footsteps.
She said: “It’s actually a really big deal because I haven’t come across it in a company where everyone is absolutely amazing before LiveWest. They have been incredibly supportive.
“LiveWest has been really supportive of getting me in the role and helping me enrol. I always really wanted to do something like this before but I just didn’t have the opportunity.
“Helping women into trades jobs is a really big deal and you want to make a good impression for all the ladies so I just have to work really hard.
“I’ve always had an interest in construction and doing more practical work but when I had my children, I worked in a care home and did the hours around the kids and you don’t really have options available.
“My children are grown up now and LiveWest are really promoting getting women into trades which is incredible and it’s really refreshing to see.”
After completing her college work and gaining her property maintenance qualification at Taunton College, Charlie has lots of career options available to her.
Charlie said: “If you’re going to be an improver then LiveWest gives you small jobs and you work your way up with training.
“The opportunity is there for me to go on and do more training, or go on and be a gas engineer or an electrician, so that’s a good thing.
“LiveWest are really supportive with how I want to carry on my career or do training in other sectors.
“I tell everyone about LiveWest. I recommend it. I tell everyone about how supportive they’ve been.”
Discover our apprenticeship scheme and colleagues' stories throughout this week. Stay tuned for our Qualifications Event in May where we will be showing some more career achievements.