Hilary Devey, business tycoon and one of the scary dragons on Dragons Den, is throwing her support behind the NICEIC and their campaign to get more women interested in learning a trade.

Speaking in a series of radio interviews today, Devey said:

“We are always going to need electricians and women should be inspired to learn a trade.” and “Learning a trade offers women flexibility around running a home and earning a good income”.

The campaign, which is being spearheaded by the NICEIC, focuses on breaking down the stigma that jobs in trades are primarily for males, encouraging those who are leaving school to explore other options outside of university such as learning a trade.

“Given my career in the traditionally male dominated industry of freight distribution, this campaign is very close to my heart,” comments Hilary.

“I am proof that women can smash through gender stereotypes, climb to the top of any profession and truly excel at what they do. I am extremely passionate about breaking down barriers for women in the workplace and this is why I am lending my full support to this campaign with NICEIC.”

The main focus of the Jobs For the Girls campaign is to basically make sure that women earn equal wages for working in a trade, as research found that 70% of surveyed women found they were earning less than males doing the exact same job. The focus is also on the industry itself, and why it is defined as a male-oriented workplace.

Emma Clancy, CEO of NICEIC, added, “During these challenging economic times, it seems more women are feeling sidelined in their careers as they tackle looking after their family while working full time. As a result, many are now looking for a flexible option that will enable them to work around their hectic home life and taking up a trade is an option we would urge them to consider.

“Our Jobs for the Girls initiative has already received MP support and widespread backing from female contractors and it’s with much personal passion and enthusiasm that I continue to head up this campaign to encourage more women into the electrical contracting world.”

You can check out the Jobs For the Girls campaign by visiting the following link.