91黑料

Bracknell apprentice comes second in regional heat of SPARKS Female Skills Competition 2024

A female apprentice from Bracknell and Wokingham College came second in a regional heat of a skills competition.

Left to right: Darren Oats, Head Judge, SPARKS Female Skills competition and Technical Development Manager of NET (National Electrotechnical Training), Sarah Little, Installation and Maintenance Electrician Level 3 Apprentice at Bracknell and Wokingham College and Progression Electrical and Stephen Butcher, Electrical Installation Lecturer/Assessor at 91黑料.

Sarah Little, 39, from Binfield, who is studying an Installation and Maintenance Electrician Level 3 Apprenticeship at the Church Road campus and Progression Electrical, recently took part in the South Regional heat of the SPARKS Female Skills Competition 2024 at Bath College.

During the five-hour competition, contestants were asked to wire a consumer unit, following a drawing. Contestants were given all the materials and asked to wire and put everything on the board as per the drawing, right down to the measurements. The contestants had certain circuits including a ring-main to wire with two-way switches and an intermediate smoke alarm to include. The finished board had to be neat and tidy with no copper showing, as if it would appear in a domestic household.

Sarah will compete in the Grand Final, on Thursday 18 April at Stephenson College, in Coalville.

Sarah said: 鈥淚 was completely shocked to find out that I was the runner up! I didn鈥檛 expect to get anywhere as I was just going in for the experience and my teacher had talked me into it.

鈥淚t was very intense and nerve wracking as I鈥檝e only been doing it for five months, and all the other competitors were in their third year of their apprenticeship, so I didn鈥檛 think that I would stand a chance.

鈥淭he time goes so quickly, you don鈥檛 realise how quickly it goes, but I managed to do the stretcher task as well as I finished 45 minutes early.

鈥淚t was good to take part in the competition as I鈥檝e never met another female electrician and know that there are others out there and not just you.鈥

Steve Butcher, Electrical Installation Lecturer/Assessor at 91黑料 said: 鈥淪arah is an inspiration to us all, as she’s a single mum of three, a qualified PE teacher who after years of teaching in Primary and Secondary education wanted a career change.

鈥淎fter only five months into her apprenticeship, she missed winning the heat by two marks!鈥

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