BUSINESS Naomi lights path for female sparkies
NAOMI Bourke has made history after being named Master Electricians Australia’s first female Apprentice of the Year.
The former Home Hill girl, who now works for Horan and Bird in Townsville, formed part of a dazzling contingent of North Queensland entrants who took home three of the eight gongs in the industry body’s 2018 National Awards for Excellence.
Ms Bourke has been given glowing reports by her employer and award judges but told the Townsville Bulletin she was “lucky” to have landed her job.
She had been unsuccessful with multiple job applications for three years after finishing school.
“I was just lucky Horan and Bird were willing to let me get my foot in the door,” Ms Bourke said.
Judges praised Naomi’s enthusiasm, dedication to her work and commitment to safety.
While she had faced “initial adversity” to secure an apprenticeship, judges said her perspective now was that “no challenge is too big”.
Horan and Bird manager Glenn Nooroa said customers regularly called to praise the quality of her work and ask that she attend their jobs in future.
“This, to me, is the highest level of praise an electrician can receive,” Mr Nooroa said.
Ms Bourke was Horan and Bird’s first female electrical apprentice. She was told by judges she was also the first female winner of the Apprentice of the Year.
“It was very exciting and rather surreal when it happened. I hope to inspire other females to do the same thing,” Ms Bourke said.
“The electrical trade is great. If anybody wanted to get into it, I definitely recommend it.”
More than 40 entries, representing every mainland state, were in contention at the awards event, held at the Hilton in Brisbane last weekend.
North Queensland contractor Jason Sharam from Linked Group Services was recognised for developing its own off- grid commercial complex, winning the Energy Efficiency Project of the Year award, while Minelec’s Mathew Richardson received the Industrial Project of the Year award for work on the Capricorn Copper mine refurbishment near Mount Isa.
Master Electricians Australia CEO Malcolm Richards said the awards recognised members of the industry who most strongly reflected the peak body’s values of quality, safety, energy efficiency, innovation and the highest standard of service.