General News
30 May, 2025
Renee powers her way to national award
WARRNAMBOOL electrical apprentice and mum-of-four Renee Evans is one of 10 women across Australia to win a national award.
Mrs Evans has won a prize pack worth more than $10,000 in the Bunnings Women in Apprenticeships 2025 awards run in conjunction with the National Association of Women in Construction.
The award is designed to help champion and empower women in construction and related industries to reach their full potential and was presented at Bunnings Warrnambool on May 23.
Mrs Evans, 33, was studying nursing and working in healthcare when a serious injury prompted a career change.
“Last year I broke both my arms in a roller-skating accident. Before then I was thinking about a change of career, but that really pushed me,” she said.
“I’d been studying nursing and working in health care for a long time. I knew I wanted a big change but couldn’t figure out what to do.
“When both my arms were broken, an electrician came to our house and I thought, I could do that.”
Mrs Evans said she used to browse the SWTAFE site to look at what she could study and the first time she went into the trade section, it was like opening up a whole new world.
She started her pre-apprenticeship this year and within weeks was offered an apprenticeship with BH Electrical after an introduction from South West TAFE teacher Stephen Georgiou.
Mrs Evans describes her introduction to the trade as exhilarating and challenging.
“Crawling through roof spaces and under buildings is the easy part; learning different wiring requirements, intricate switchboards and troubleshooting problems is much more challenging,” she said.
She said the mix of physical and mental challenges was what appealed to her about the career.
While she’s glad to be recognised nationally as a woman in an apprenticeship, Mrs Evans never wanted to stand out in her career as an electrician because she was female.
“I was raised believing that male or female, we’re all just as capable,” she said.
“Now I’m in a trade, I can see there are challenges to being a female.
“Being mature-aged has been a benefit for me because I’m much more assured about who I am, and I’m proud to be a role model for other women considering the career path.”
Mrs Evans had strong support from both her husband and builder father to follow her dream.
“I mostly kept it to myself,” she said.
“I was so sure about what I wanted to do that I didn’t want anyone else’s opinion, but everyone has been really supportive.”
Mr Georgiou said Mrs Evans was flourishing in her new career.
“BH Electrical is very happy with Renee’s progress and she has fitted in very well with the team and is thoroughly loving working as an electrical apprentice,” he said.
