Boilermaker
Amanda Horswill
A confessed “girly-girl” is to become the first female to graduate from Gold Coast TAFE’s boilermaker training course in its 30-year history.
Nineteen-year-old Loree Collyer says her boilermaker father was her inspiration to take up the tools of the trade.
She will graduate early next year along with her classmates – 249 men.
But she says that when she first decided to take on the course, she had no idea she would be smashing the industry stereotype of a big, burly, grease-covered man.
“I don’t fit that bill but I do enjoy the `hands-on’ work,” she says.
“I also like doing girly things.
“I love boilermaking.
“Every day is different and you don’t know what is going to happen. You start off doing something small and it just keeps growing and then you can see the end result.”
She says it came as a surprise that she would be the only woman in her class.
“I thought there would be a few more women out there,” she says.
“I don’t know why (more women don’t get into boilermaking). It’s a good thing to do. It opens doors for you.
“I am now getting into drafting.”
Collyer is now working as an apprentice with PSF Steel Fabrications, at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.
Her work involves anything to do with steel fabrication, from making metal beams to welding structures to constructing metal objects.
Is she as good as the men? “Definitely,” she says.
PSF Steel Fabrications general manager Bruce Pailthorpe says Collyer is an asset to his team.
“Our challenge is to provide these opportunities for her,” Pailthorpe says.
Gold Coast Institute of TAFE director Deb Daly says women should be encouraged to consider trades as careers.
“Apprenticeships can lead to very satisfying and rewarding careers,” Daly says.
“They provide many more career pathways than they did years ago and the job outcome from apprenticeships are better than those of most degree graduates.
“I believe people today choosing a career in building and construction can look forward to a lifetime of opportunities for success,” she says.
