Ara Plumbing and Gas Fitting tutor presents at Women in Trades event

_{Ara kaimahi (left to right) Sange Malama, Ella Star and Annette Moore} 

Ara staff registered strong interest at their stand at the latest event organised by Women in Trades in Timaru. 

Several kaimahi (staff) travelled from Christchurch to support local staff at the expo – among them Plumbing and Gas Fitting tutor Ella Star who shared her knowledge on a discussion panel. 

Ara Timaru Business Development Representative Sange Malama said the panel of experts was “an absolute highlight” at the Caroline Bay Hall event. 

_{The panel including Ella Star (second from left) addressing the Caroline Bay Hall crowd} 

“I know those attending the expo really enjoyed the panel. Hearing first-hand what it’s like to work in trades and what the highs and lows can be. Along with Ella, it was great seeing a current and former Ara apprentice up there talking about the challenges they’ve faced and sharing advice,” Malama said. 

“The overall message was that trades is a fulfilling and dynamic career option for women - and those keen to get into one need to believe in themselves and what they have to offer,” she added. 

Malama reported that there was strong interest in the range of trades options Ara offers, with electrical trades in particular generating many enquiries. 

Ella Star, who worked in the plumbing and gas fitting trade for almost a decade before joining the teaching staff at Ara earlier this year, said trades offered fulfilling and exciting opportunities for women. 

_{Ella Star at work at the Ara Trades Woolston campus} 

“Obviously these are still a male-dominated industries, and you need to be prepared for that,” she shared on the panel. “But women have proven to bring a point of difference as well as a strong and varied skillset to the trades.” 

Star said women’s attention to detail and expert communication with customers were second to none. 

“It’s also honestly so nice to be able to work with your hands and have something tangible that you’ve done so you can stand back and say, ‘I did that, I made that, or I built that.’  Providing something physical is so much more satisfying to me than working up a spreadsheet or rearranging something,” she told the audience. “It’s so much more gratifying.” 

Star also pointed out that trades was also a great pathway for those with neurodiversity. 

“It’s something that’s good to be aware of. We now know that people are literally wired differently and for them sitting behind computer would be literal torture.  

“It’s really cool to have career outlets where creativity is encouraged, and you get to be outside and play with power tools. What more could you possibly want? I love it,” she said. 

The Women in Trades event was held just a week before Ara prepared to accept handover of its new Engineering Workshop on Timaru’s Theodosia-North Street intersection. 

On time and on budget, the multi-disciplinary new build will replace the current facility which dates back to the 1960s. It will provide a mix of engineering spaces for activities such as welding, fitting and turning, grinding and machining.  

It’s due to be blessed by local iwi before classes start to fill the new spaces later this month.