Sophie joined Capita as an apprentice. She talks about how she has developed her technical skills to become competent and confident in a male-dominated working environment.
I love working outdoors as well as in the workshop and have found my place as part of a great team. Everyone is really friendly and there’s always someone to ask if I need anything.
From beauty to boatyards
When I started work with Capita seven years ago, I had never even picked up a drill. It was a million miles away from my first job as an apprentice in a beauty salon, but I welcomed the challenge of becoming an Apprentice Marina Operative and learning all about boatyards. I was also excited with the prospect of learning about how to maintain and operate boats. I wasn’t guaranteed a job after my apprenticeship, but a colleague retired, and I was lucky enough to be offered his role. Even though it’s still seen as quite a male environment, I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of finding my place here. I think if you’re interested in learning something new, I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone.
My job now involves hull maintenance – basically anything under a boat – checking fixtures and fittings; repairing anti-fouling and fibreglass; replacing rubber strips, crucifixes and deck boards and making sure boats have safety and security equipment.
I also work in other areas – the most exciting of which is a training scenario on the water where we test trainees’ responses to extraordinary events. So, I might get to act as a modern-day pirate and try to enter their boat or pretend to drive straight at the boat while ignoring warnings on the radio. The scenarios can include other things such as helicopters and jets – the training has a very serious purpose but it’s thrilling to be involved all the same.
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