“IN A TRADITIONALLY MALE DOMINATED INDUSTRY, I SAW A GAP FOR FEMALES THAT NEEDED CHALLENGING.”
If you were to describe the Thermal Insulation industry you would think of industrial environments, operating on construction sites and on processing plants, and generally working day-to-day with insulation materials, sheet metal cladding and industrial assets. It’s fair to say that for these reasons the industry has for many decades being dominated by a predominantly male workforce.
Daisy Southern is a female Thermal Insulation Technician Apprentice at Powertherm. Daisy has worked within thermal insulation since 2019 and highlighted that when she first started working on-site she, “got a weird feeling that this kind of world would suit me and my personality. I am a quick learner, and straight away I felt trusted to work independently, with the opportunity to learn something new every day – each day is different from the last as you are never on the same task for long – which for someone who is living with asperges keeps the job interesting”.
Being the only female on-site in what has long been an environment more familiar to males took Daisy a short while to find her comfort. However, she outlined that it was also, “strange for her male colleagues, who needed time to adapt themselves”, as they too acknowledged the presence of a female working in a male dominated industry. “I appreciate this job isn’t for all women, but I believe the challenges it presents provides an opportunity to bring positive change to our industry”. Daisy hopes that other females see the gap she first saw and challenge the norm by finding a role for themselves in thermal insulation or anywhere across the construction industry.
Daisy hasn’t always worked within the construction industry. Whilst studying at university she worked in retail and upon her graduation spent time at Manchester Royal Infirmary before seeking out a career in thermal insulation. Daisy is currently studying for her apprenticeship in Thermal Insulation and upon completion aims to, “progress into a supervisor role and keep progressing”.
When away from the ‘lagging and cladding’ world, Daisy likes to remain active, regularly doing yoga. And also has interests in, “art, photography, and culture; in the sense of travelling to other countries. Random fact about me: In 2012, I was chosen to run with the Olympic Torch!”
Powertherm chooses to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality in the industries we operate in. On International Women’s Day 2021 we choose to challenge by celebrating the women within Powertherm and their achievements – from challenge comes change.