Heating engineer Katie Jones is helping to tackle the limited availability of suitable workwear for female trade professionals. Since winning Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2023, she has become a member of the all-female Pro-Panel, created by Screwfix to better understand specific workwear needs.
The work of the Pro-Panel will not only allow the tradeswomen sitting on it to share their views and experiences, but also provides an opportunity for them to give honest feedback on what they like and what can be improved – with the aim that female trade professionals can benefit from increased, inclusive, and appropriate workwear choices in the future.
After road testing the omnichannel retailer’s new range of clothing, Katie discusses her experience of looking for workwear as a tradeswoman in a male-dominated industry.
Q: How do you typically purchase workwear, online or in stores?
A: To be honest I have not found it easy to find the type of workwear that suits my needs as a heating engineer. Issues around sizing, materials, and even cost, are barriers when I look for clothing that is both practical and comfortable on the job.
Working in the heating and plumbing industry puts great demands on workwear. In the past, I have used my local merchant to source safety protection such as goggles, gloves, and even steel toe cap boots.
For other workwear items, such as polo shirts and trousers, I scan websites. This is quite time consuming, so I’m excited about the new range Screwfix has developed with the female trade professional in mind.
Q: In your experience, how difficult is it to find/purchase the workwear you need for the job?
A: As a heating engineer, I need to be able to operate in tight spaces, in freezing cold houses or extremely hot lofts, as well as spending plenty of time on my knees. This means it’s essential for my workwear to be both practical and comfortable. But there is a lack of options on the market for me.
As a result, I am often left to buy ill-fitting clothing that is not designed for my body type and constructed with stiff, uncomfortable materials. I have even heard of colleagues making their own modifications to clothing, such as adding additional buttons, zips, and holes to belts, or even using scissors to adapt items so they fit better. It can be a real challenge!
Q: How does the selection for women compare to what’s available for your male counterparts?
A: My own experience demonstrates that the focus has always been on workwear solutions that have had the male body type in mind.
As more tradeswomen join the profession, a more inclusive mindset is needed that takes into consideration the type of workwear that a female is looking for and needs to support her in her role.
The common challenges are around sizing, material choice, and even cost. While male options invariably cater for a spectrum of male body shapes and sizes, the same cannot be said for women, unfortunately.
Q: Does more need to be done to make workwear more inclusive for women?
A: Definitely. The findings of the research conducted by Screwfix’s Pro-Panel clearly show that there is a demand for female-appropriate workwear that help tackle the issues we all talk about. We want parity with our male colleagues in terms of the choices they have.
I would urge all workwear suppliers in our industry to take the issue seriously and invest in the growing numbers of female trade professionals who, like me, want a lengthy career.
Essential support such as having practical, well-sized, comfortable, and competitively priced workwear is important. The companies that create these solutions will benefit from purchasing loyalty in the future if they get it right now.
Q: What’s your favourite item of workwear, and why?
A: I have to consider a number of factors when buying workwear for my role. Dealing with hazardous substances such as sewage, asbestos, and solvents means safety equipment is a high priority for me. But from a practical perspective, as I often need to crawl around on the floor or work in restricted spaces, items such as good trousers are especially important.
In this regard, I love the new Site ‘Kalani’ women’s workwear trousers from Screwfix. They fit great, are hardwearing, and super comfortable, as well as having pockets to put my essential knee pads in so that I do not mislay them. The material also keeps me warm and is very flexible, which is priceless considering some of the workspaces I end up in. I thoroughly recommend them.
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