Lea Erlandsen is so proud and happy about her job as an electrician that she shares her daily work life on the Instagram account @elektrikerLea. The 24-year-old hopes she can inspire more girls to invest in a job within male-dominated industries. Lea Erlandsen from Isfjorden works daily as an electrician at Rauma Elektro. There she has a varied working day with both small and large projects. Most of her colleagues are men, but things are about to change when it comes to the gender balance in so-called male-dominated professions.
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– It is very good that more and more girls are applying for so-called male-dominated professions, we need a better gender balance, says Lea, who receives a lot of positive feedback on the work she does, both on assignments and in social media. The 24-year-old is a recent Skydda ambassador, and runs the popular Instagram account @elektrikerLea. There you can follow her exciting work day. More accepted to choose vocational subject.It was entirely by chance that Raumaværingen ended up as an electrician. – After three years of general education, I had no idea what I wanted to work on. Therefore, I chose to wait to apply to university. But then, one Friday evening, a friend and I discussed what we could come up with. Out of the blue, we entered the electrical profession, and joked that we were going to test it out. A random joke quickly turned into seriousness, and the result was that Lea took her vocational certificate as an electrician eight months earlier than originally planned. In early August, the application figures for the coming school year became known, and here it emerged that more than half, 52 per cent, had applied for vocational subjects at year 1. Boys still dominate the number of applicants for building and construction engineering, electrical and computer technology and technology and industrial subjects, but in recent years there has been an increase in girls applying for this education. This year, there was a record number of girls who applied to the aforementioned subject areas. Lea Erlandsen thinks it is very good that it has become more accepted to choose vocational subjects, and not least that more girls dare to invest in work in what have traditionally been referred to as male-dominated professions.
– I have the impression that for many years you were “looked down upon” by choosing a vocational subject, but now it has become more and more accepted.
– In addition, you can see that those who study vocational subjects often quickly get a job with a good salary.
At the same time, Lea points out that a good gender balance at work helps to create a good working environment, in addition to the fact that everyone has different characteristics, they complement each other in a positive way.
– We all have different things we are good at in work situations. I am a girl who is quite small in size, and heavy physical work can be more difficult for me than it might be for a male colleague. On the other hand, it is an advantage to be small when, for example, you have to work in small cupboards and tight spaces, and that it can be an advantage to have small fingers when there is a lot of tinkering. Lea also emphasizes that you should not be afraid to ask your colleagues for help or advice.
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– In many cases, helping each other will make the work that is carried out more efficient. Important for the working environment. Vegard Aune, general manager of the HSE company Skydda Norge, believes that an increasing number of female craftsmen send out an important signal to all women who are considering careers. – It is going in the right direction. Diversity is important for companies, which provides both a better working environment and increased profitability, says the Skydda boss. – In addition, this will help to create trust and security at work, and lead to good solutions, he adds. Lea says that she has a good relationship with her employer and her supervisors. The 24-year-old has no problem speaking up if there is something she is not happy with. At the same time, the craftsman encourages employers to make even greater arrangements for their employees.
– People are different, but we all have a claim that things are as they should be so that you feel safe and comfortable at work. Lea believes that one of the best things about being an electrician is the varied working day. At the same time, you constantly learn something new by meeting other craftsmen. – I acquire knowledge in a way that you don’t learn at school. I am constantly learning something new by talking to carpenters and plumbers, and at the same time I have a lot of freedom to be creative in everyday work. The Skydda ambassador hopes she can be an inspiration to both girls and boys who are interested in crafts. – Most people are more than happy to answer questions. Get in touch with a local company or school – many will be happy to tell you and give advice! You get what you want, the only thing that matters is what you yourself are set on, concludes Lea Erlands
