From the world of law ... to becoming an electrician
FORMER LEGAL ASSISTANT CATHLEEN HAS PLUGGED INTO A NEW CAREER AS LITTLE MISS ELECTRICIAL
A COLNE Valley woman who abandoned a career in law to become an electrician is urging other women to consider learning a trade.
Cathleen Cockin, 25, of Slaithwaite, is now powering ahead with her own business, Little Miss Electricial, after training to be a “sparky”.
The former Colne Valley High School student took law at university, gained a masters degree in law practice and was working to become a solicitor with a firm in Leeds when she made the big decision to switch careers.
The “light bulb moment” came when Cathleen and boyfriend Oliver Jackson, 30, a plasterer, were renovating a house in Greetland – but were being let down by an “unreliable” electrician.
She said: “My boyfriend suggested I learn how to do it, so I went on a course at Warrington during my annual leave and started to retrain as a domestic electrician.”
Cathleen completed the course over a four-month period and began working for an established electrician. When Cathleen and Oliver bought their second house at Slaithwaite, Cathleen carried out the re-wiring.
“I sub-contracted for 12 months working for another electrician before setting up on my own,” she said.
“I wanted to work for myself. The biggest thing I didn’t like about law was having to work for someone else. I was a legal assistant working in property law and was offered a training contract, but I wanted to be able to increase my earnings.”
Commenting on her training: “I picked it up really quickly, but then I have always been quite ‘hands-on.’ It was a lot more enjoyable than sitting at a desk staring at a computer.”
Cathleen is now one year into an 18-month commercial wiring course at Calderdale College, where she is one of only two females taking part. At Warrington, she was the only woman on the course. Now she is keen to encourage other girls to consider taking up a trade.
“I suppose I was ‘directed’ to go to university,” she said. “I never really thought about an apprenticeship. It never entered my head. I spent a lot of time training in law and everyone thought I was going to be a solicitor. It was a massive decision for me to change direction, but people have been very supportive.”
She said being a female electrician provided her with a “unique selling point” but old assumptions often died hard. “I rang someone about looking at their electric shower and they thought I was the woman who worked in the office. They sounded surprised when I said I would be coming out to see them. However, a lot of women feel more comfortable with a woman coming round.
“I’m a female electrician, which is why I’ve branded my business Little Miss Electrician. It certainly makes heads turn.”