Having served in the Royal Navy and carving out a successful spell in nursing, Georgia Roberts was still searching for her desired career path.
After leaving school at the age of 16, Plymouth-based Georgia joined the Royal Navy as a Communications Specialist in 2008.
Her role saw her maintaining the safety of ships and other vessels using radar and solar systems.
The vessel she served on was based at Devonport Dockyard and she also worked out of Portsmouth and Faslane in Scotland.
But Georgia decided to leave the forces in 2012 and immediately set her sights on a career in nursing.
In order to launch her new career route, Georgia started out as a Health Care Assistant with Housing 21 and Nurse Plus before moving on to Livewell South West where she became a Training Nurse Associate.
Georgia achieved her NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care.
But despite excelling in the health sector, Georgia still had an itch to fulfil her career ambition of moving into a practical trade.
Yet it was only when we advertised for apprentices to work across our trades’ services, that Georgia felt compelled to take the plunge.
A successful interview process culminated in her being appointed as an apprentice Gas Engineer and she has never looked back.
Speaking during National Apprenticeship Week, Georgia, 31, said: “I thought my dream had gone as I am in my 30s and couldn’t really afford to start again as an apprentice.
“But little did I realise that LiveWest pay a real living wage to their apprentices, and it meant I could carry on earning a good wage and learn something I had always wanted to do.
“I am someone who used to do DIY around the house when I was younger. I always like doing practical jobs and trying my hand at different things.
“It wasn’t something I realistically thought I could make my career and I ended up joining the Royal Navy where I had four good years.
“I then went into nursing and took some qualifications, but there was something still nagging away at me that I hadn’t fulfilled my career ambitions.
“Since joining LiveWest, I have never looked back. Everyone is so supportive, I have got a great mentor and there are some fantastic opportunities here.
“You learn on the job and the managers give me ample opportunity to get the tools out and work on as number of different projects.
“I feel like I am learning something new every day, and come to work with a smile on my face.
“It is great to go into a customer’s home and actually make a difference by fixing something or installing something new that will help them enjoy their home even more.
“I like the way all the plumbing systems work, especially with all the renewable technology that LiveWest is introducing.
“I really like the eco friendly part of the job and working for an organisation who has a real focus on being green.”
In the summer of 2021 we launched a Women in Trades campaign in an effort to provide opportunities for women to secure a trades career with us.
We set ambitious targets for a continued rise in the number of women finding a route into trades.
We have appointed seven female trade apprentices in the last year and we now have 16 women trades in our 420-strong trades operation.
Yet we are seeking to increase that figure as we continue to promote inclusion and diversity in all areas of our organisation.
Georgia added: “It is great to see an organisation promote trades to women and actively looking to increase the diversity in all areas.
“Trades have often been seen as a male job, but more and more women are breaking into this field and the stereotypes are changing.
“It kind of reflects the change in the way society views things and that can only be a good thing.
“I absolutely love what I do and would recommend it to any woman who has an interest in pursuing a practical career.”
