Female Sparky Takes Out Apprentice Award

Tayla completed a Certificate III in Electrotechnology (UEE30820) and did her apprenticeship with Allen Gillespie Electrical, where she is supported by her boss, Aaron Lovelock.

For Tayla, being named TAFE Queensland’s Fraser Coast Apprentice of the Year is recognition that her hard work, and her dedication to learning the trade, has been noticed.

“When I saw the two other students I went through TAFE with were nominated, I thought, ‘they deserve it so much.”

“Then when I heard my name and realised I’d won, I was in disbelief. I was just happy to be nominated,” Tayla said.

“I hope it shows that if you’re passionate about what you want and you work hard, you can achieve anything,” she said.

She also hopes her win encourages more women to consider a career in the trades.

“Most importantly, it shows women can do any trade they want.”

One of the skills Tayla is most proud of is becoming hands-on, learning to use tools confidently and safely and applying those skills on site every day.

“When you work with different tradesmen, you learn quickly how each one likes to work and you adapt to their ways. That’s a great skill to have and it’s satisfying when you get to the point of understanding each other and working together like a well-oiled machine.”

“I love being the ‘roof rat’ and crawling under houses doing the dirty, rough work is gratifying. You learn to ignore the giant hairy spiders and just focus on where you’ve got to get to,” Tayla said.

“In this trade you learn a new skill every day, which I love and it keeps it interesting.”

Tayla said TAFE Queensland Hervey Bay electrical students are lucky to have real world teachers.

“They’re so encouraging and supportive, and they take the time to make sure you understand everything. They wanted to help in any way they could, and they put a lot of effort into seeing each student do well.”

“They want good electricians for the Hervey Bay region.”

“The company I work for has been nothing but supportive and offered guidance through my whole apprenticeship and they still do now. There’s so much more for me to learn. I’m only scratching the surface of the electrical industry,” Tayla said.

“The advice I hear repeatedly is to have confidence in myself. That’s something I’m still working on, and I want to pass that on to the next apprentices,” Tayla said.

According to her boss, Aaron, Tayla is often the first to put her hand up and say, “I’ve got this.”

“I offered her a job on the first day because she was right into it,” Aaron said.

“Looking back, you can see how much she has grown.”

“As a woman in the trade, she’s never had any problems from other tradies. Sometimes people in the broader community might be surprised at first, but she breaks down those preconceptions, and they quickly see what a great asset she is,” Aaron said.

“She’s committed to the job and keen to learn all facets of the electrical trade from domestic work through to commercial,” he said.

Aaron, who has owned the business for the past 10 years, is a former mature-age apprentice at TAFE Queensland Hervey Bay himself, and now employs three apprentices and 12 electricians, with strong demand for work across the region.

Aaron said working with TAFE Queensland Hervey Bay has been a positive experience.

“It’s a good one-on-one relationship with the teachers many of whom I know worked in the industry as electrical contractors in our area. I can pick up the phone and have a frank conversation with them. There’s a strong relationship between TAFE and employers,” he said.

Those who have worked alongside Tayla describe her as calm and dependable on site, with high standards and a willingness to step up when needed.

She has also started informally mentoring other apprentices sharing tips, backing safe work practices and helping build confidence in the team.

With a strong technical foundation and growing confidence, Tayla is focused on what comes next continuing to learn, building her skills and making her mark in the electrical industry.

Her ability to combine professionalism, technical skill and focus shows she’s committed to doing things right hence why she was named Fraser Coast Apprentice of the Year.

Apprenticeships and traineeships are a smart way to recruit and train employees to meet the current and future needs of your business.

You can customise the training, increase efficiency, boost your business financially, and contribute to lifelong learning in your workplace.