Why more women are saying ‘yes’ to a British Gas apprenticeship
Experts predict the UK will need over 1.9 million STEM (Science, technology, engineering and maths) professionals in the workforce by 2035. And yet today, only 12% of professional engineers are women 1. As a company, we want to support and encourage women to enter engineering – as well as narrowing the gender gap and improving diversity within the sector. That’s why we’ve been on a huge recruitment drive for female apprentices – inviting them to embark on training for a promising and rewarding career with us at British Gas.
Although we’ve still got a long way to go, we’re starting to see results. In 2023, only 0.2% of gas engineers nationally were women – but women made up 14% of the Smart Energy Apprentices we hired. Here, three of our female apprentices tell us why they decided to say ‘yes’ to a bright new future in engineering.
Hollie
I always knew I wanted to do some sort of trade. As a kid, I loved playing with Lego - and now I love playing with tools to make and fix things. I'm very much a practical learner who loves hands-on work. I want to be active – I couldn’t sit at desk all day.
Before the apprenticeship, I was a postie for two years and took a plumbing course too. Even when I was at the Royal Mail, I bought a Meccano set to play with and made a lamp out of some copper I had at home as that’s the sort of thing I like doing.
Initially, the thought of an engineering apprenticeship was quite intimidating, but the fact that it was advertised specifically at women made me think it was worth a shot. There are three women in my intake of 11. The guys don’t bat an eyelid – all they care about is that everyone can pull their weight, whatever their sex. Everyone's accepted for who they are.
I can’t recommend the apprenticeship enough. I like the fact that I get a professional qualification alongside practical experience in the field – and there’s a proper engineering job at the end of it. All the staff and trainers are brilliant and lovely, and we have mentors who are always there to give advice.
There are challenges, but there’s lots of support available if you're struggling with anything. There's nothing stopping you, really.
Kasie
I’m really impressed by the level of support on offer.
Growing up, I always wanted to join the army. When that didn’t work out, I got a job as a warehouse supervisor. I found myself often getting bored and realised I needed a more challenging and hands-on role so that’s why I applied for this.
This apprenticeship appealed to me because of all the support it comes with. It’s not a case of getting your qualification and being dumped in the deep end – British Gas supports you every single step of the way. I’ve never done anything like this before, so that reassurance was important.
Now that I’m a few months in, I’ve seen all that support in action. For example, if you don’t have all the right qualifications like Maths and English GCSEs, there’s help to bring you up to standard. And it’s not like school – our trainers understand if we need a break to help us stay focussed, for example. You’re never left on your own to fend for yourself. They really set us up for success.
Obviously, it's a male dominated industry, but at the end of day, you're just another engineer. I’m treated just like anyone else – but there’s extra help if you need it. For example, if you can’t physically lift the heavier boilers there are lifting straps to help - or you can call your manager for someone to come and help you.
I would 100% recommend it because it shows that it’s not just a job for the boys – and there’s lots of help.
Isaura
I was working as a personal trainer when lockdown hit, so my career was immediately in limbo. I knew an apprenticeship would give me new skills, and a solid trade.
I needed to find a way to challenge myself. I decided to upskill in order to complement my Pilates practice by learning web development…Then I stumbled across an ad to become a British Gas engineer. I knew an apprenticeship would push me and give me new skills, and a solid trade, with the potential to get further qualifications in areas of sustainability such as EV charging or heat pump installation. And the British Gas partnership with Tech She Can really spoke to me. Every aspect resonated with my current skill set and future ideals.
If you’re thinking about going through the British Gas engineering academy, my advice would be to enjoy it. Everyone is very supportive, and the groups you come across are always happy to share their knowledge. You start to develop your skill set and learn to break down complex problems into smaller components – it’s all part of the training to become a Smart Energy Expert.
I knew this would push me, and offer me the potential to get further qualifications in areas of sustainability, such as EV charging or heat pump installations.