ACR Journal

ACR industry October | November 2020 44 WOMEN IN ACR In this issue we meet Gemma Weston, who is working as an apprentice engineer at CSS Environmental. What was your first job? At the age of 13 I began to train as a hairdresser and, after leaving school, continued to work in the industry for a further three years. I felt this was a stereotypical industry for a female school leaver to enter and, as an ambitious individual, the job lacked the progression and excitement I wanted in my career. Once I had left hairdressing, I was unsure what career I wanted and tried a variety of roles, where I achieved a qualification in hospitality and also worked with horses. However, none of them seemed right for me and I continued to search for a more desirable career. What does your current role involve? I am a trainee engineer assisting on a number of installations and service work. I am working towards my level 3 qualification which I study for at Eastleigh College on an apprenticeship scheme. I assist on a variety of jobs along with my colleagues, for example we work on a variety of refrigeration systems which is an area I feel I excel. We also work on air conditioning systems ranging from a small split system all the way up to the big VRV/VRF systems. I find great joy in my job, especially the thrill in fault-finding. I am working to become predominantly a refrigeration service engineer, and I am also enjoying installation which will hopefully make me a very good all-round engineer. I spend the majority of my time on di…erent sites. What attracted you to the industry? I started in the industry in a health and safety o†ce role, but then a position as an apprentice engineer in air conditioning and refrigeration opened up. This sounded very interesting but challenging at the same time. I wanted to go for it as I thrive working in a demanding environment. Since joining I have thoroughly enjoyed myself and have never looked back. I have a very active mind and like to think outside the box so I felt I would thrive in this industry. What excites/interests you about the industry? I like that you must use multiple skills which can sometimes be quite challenging. It means I need to use my mind to overcome particular obstacles and I find this very rewarding and motivating. I like to look back on my work and be proud of what I have achieved. Every time I go on site I am learning something new and this is by far the most rewarding part of my role and working in the industry. You also get to meet so many amazing characters with inspirational experiences to tell. There is so much opportunity and so many di…erent paths to experience so you can continuously grow personally and professionally. Volume 6 No.6 Gemma Weston says learning on site is the most rewarding aspect of her role