Women In Trades Wednesday- Alana Davies
Alana Davies is a 21-year-old Drainlayer, who has been in the industry on and off over the last three years. She is currently doing her apprenticeship with Skills, and says of her experience: “they have been absolutely amazing to deal with, and have supported me through all the ups and downs along the way.”
After going through the gruelling process of stopping and starting her apprenticeship multiple times due to family relocating, struggling to find an apprenticeship, being let go, and quitting, she is finally on the right track thanks to Manawatu Contracting and Drainage.
Alana tells us more: “I started part time with them around August last year, at that point in life I was not overly keen on going back through the process and getting back in the trenches, but they always reckoned they'd convince me eventually and get me full time one day….I took a leap of faith and here I am! Over the years I have been torn between whether to go back into farming, or back into Drainlaying. I love both of them, but obviously being unable to do both of them full time, I think now I have found that somewhat perfect balance- My boyfriend is a Shepherd on a sheep and beef farm, so I get to help him out on the farm on the weekends if he works, and then I have Drainlaying during the week.”
Alana counts her dad as her biggest inspiration- “He is a certified Drainlayer, and from as long as I can remember being a little kid sitting in a Dads digger bucket, I've always wanted to be like him and get outside, get dirty and have a hands on practical job.”
A hands-on type career with full support from her family was always on the cards for Alana- “I am so lucky to have such amazing parents who have supported me from the get go. I think Mum always knew from a young age that I wasn't like most of my peers, that I'd probably choose a non-traditional path somewhere down the track. I loved getting my hands messy, playing in the mud, watching Dad unblock the toilets, getting out on motorbikes, long weekends out camping and scaring other girls my age and older in the dark, playing rugby with the Island boys down the road -barefoot and on tar-seal- I was often found playing with offal from animals during science projects too, you know all the fun and yucky stuff!”
Variety and a strong teamwork attitude are two key qualities Alana loves about her job. “I turn up to the yard at 7.30am each morning, grab a coffee and catch up with the boss and the team for the morning debrief. We then go out, check the trucks and diggers over, load gear and batteries for our power tools into our trailers, and set up our vehicles for the day. Sometimes we will go out and lay a set of house drains, sometimes there’s hours on the digger- backfilling and tidying sites. Other days it's small repair jobs like moving a downpipe or fixing a broken sewer pipe that the builders went through when they built the deck, digging plus installing water tanks and septic tanks, helping the boys with the earthworks of a foundation or a driveway dig out, and sometimes there are days where I sit in a truck all day carting loads to and from site and out to the quarry- I do love a good day in the truck!"
"Manawatu Contracting is a family owned and operated business who treats all of us like family. I work in a close-knit team, and we all like to have a good yarn and a good laugh on site. It's just awesome knowing you are more than just a number, that you do count as an individual and as an up and coming tradie.”
Alana’s current goal is to hit the nail on the head and to finish her apprenticeship this year, “Corona may have held things up a bit but we'll get there!”
How does Alana find her trade affects her life outside of work? She explains: “Juggling your personal life and commitments can be a wee bit tricky with a full-time outdoorsy job, especially when Aunty Flow kicks in at that inconvenient time of the month, and you’re extra tired. At the end of the day, with all the opportunities and experience I'm getting, it's so worth it. It's all about balance, and learning what you can and can't do during the week- you just have to try and squeeze it into everything else on the list for the weekends.” Also, being a long-distance Godmother- “To two beautiful babies!” Alana adds, but not getting to be able to travel to spend more time with them is one of the challenges she faces- “I just have to make the most of my time with them when I do go up for holidays”.
Alana’s advice for anyone interested in a career in Drainlaying is simple: “Don't be afraid to give it a go, you'll know pretty quick if you like the job or if you don't. There is so much support for women in non-traditional trades these days which is awesome, I still to this day have young and old folk come over on a semi-regular basis, to say a quick ‘hello’ and tell you they think it's awesome to see a girl in the trades. Always get a few cheeky comments about keeping the boys in line…I mean, someone's gotta do it- right?!
Also ladies, there is always someone with a watchful eye, whether we know it or not, so keeping a tidy standard of workmanship, an eye for detail, and a good sense of humour will take you a long way....and don't be afraid to ask the old boys questions...the old bucks know their stuff!”
