Creating her own niche
TULIA Nacola is director, woodworker and carpenter at her own company Cove Furnishings.
She is also a member of the Women In Trade and Construction Fiji (WICAT Fiji), an organisation made up of women in Fiji who are now working in the construction and trade industry.
WICAT Fiji membership is “nearing 100 women and growing”, said WICAT Fiji founder and chairwoman Julianne Verma as the world this week celebrates Women In Construction Week (March 3 -9).
“We have a diverse member database from skilled and certified, gaining skills and certified, skilled and not certified to graduates and academia. Our membership criteria is simply that you are a woman working in the field of construction and trade,” Ms Verma said.
The Fiji Times caught up with Ms Nacola to share a few things about her work. Work title: Director, woodworker,
carpenter Company you work for?
Cove Furnishings
Qualification: TPAF Joinery Certificate APTC- Painting and decorating Certificate III
What does your job involve?
Make furniture, oversee building/painting projects. How would you describe the level of women participation in your field?
I don’t know that many women in my field, but since being involved with the Women in Construction and Trade committee, I am able to create networks and contacts with other women in my area of expertise. Was this something you planned to do growing up?
It definitely wasn’t planned and it was not a career I saw myself going into because I didn’t know or see women in these areas, it wasn’t talked about or encouraged. How did you get into this area of work?
I was actually taking a break from my university studies and needed to do something that would take my mind off the pressure of getting into a career and figuring out what I wanted to do with my life.
I took up a joinery course with TPAF because it looked interesting and I was one of only two women in the class.
The class sparked my interest
and there was no turning back from there. What’s it like working in a field dominated by men?
You learn to adapt and create your own niche. I was lucky because I created my own business soon after school and I employed a group of men who were in the trade for more than ten years, I was lucky that they were open to working for me and I gained their respect. Together we created a great team.
What are some limiting aspects of your job that differentiates you as a woman from that of the men you work with?
Men created the industry, so it’s fair to say they have a network that’s been built over time, an understanding and loyalty to their peers, and they are able to converse and bounce ideas off of each other.
I was limited in that capacity, in the way that I have not been involved with a group of my peers who share the same interests and network and to be able to help each other, be involved with likeminded people and also learn from those who are willing to teach.
But now, with the creation of Women in Construction and Trade, that limit does not exist. What are some challenges?
Communication is one of the major challenges I face on a linguistic level. What are some things you enjoy about it?
I enjoy learning a lot of new things on job sites, tricks and hacks that some of the workers will show me. I also enjoy working as a team, when everyone is in sync and we all work together towards
a common goal. And when the project is complete we all feel good about it and we grow closer as a team. How would you describe support from your family and community?
The support has been amazing, my family were fully on board after I decided to open up my joinery business, and it’s been nothing but support from them and my peers ever since. Anything in particular you’d like to share?
Work at it, if it’s something that you want, put in the work and keep going. You will fail a few times, but if it’s something that you want, you have to keep pushing and wanting it, only then will your goal come to fruition. A personal message to women?
You can do anything, don’t doubt yourself.