GROWING UP, LISA Skinner dreamed of a chef career.
Today, she is a top female electrician, with the ability to handle almost any electrical task, and also taking lead in solar installation.
And while she believes that life’s unpredictability may result in her realizing that aspiration in the future, for now, she is not disappointed that the chef career had to be placed on the back burner because of a missing ingredient.
The technical aspects of the trade are truly fascinating to the 28-year-old who started at the age of 18 through an invitation by her stepfather.
“I didn’t have anything to do because I couldn’t go and study what I wanted to. So I went along with my stepfather. After he saw that I was doing good work and that I had potential, he told me to go to the [Samuel Jackman Prescod] Polytechnic and I spent five years there doing electrical,” said the former Lester Vaughan School student during an interview with the MIDWEEK NATION.
Electrical installation and reinstallation in buildings, electrical maintenance at gas stations, and the “little easy, odds and ends” are just some of the things included in Skinner’s work.
“I learn something new about electrical work every day. The guys treat me like one of them. We are like one big happy family and we work together.
“At times, the job can be tough but at other times, it is just a breeze. I am there in what I can do in electrical work, but I wouldn’t say I am still there yet, I still have someway to go.
“The females feel proud to see a female doing a male job. I get positive vibes when I’m doing work. Actually, I would like to see more women joining me in the field. A woman, doing what people like to say is a man’s job, give males’ competition and make them work a little bit harder,” said the smiling employee of Simmons Electrical, Emerald Park, St Phillip.
The WEDNESDAY WOMAN says she prefers the technicality involved in solar installation than, in her opinion, the simple task of installing a switch.
“I like when I’m doing solar installation and I’m going on [the] roof. Solar installation is basically the same thing as electrical installation but the only difference is that you would be at a higher level. Installing the panels to me is sometimes challenging because they can be heavy.”
In Skinner’s opinion, eventually the use of solar power will be maximized not only in Barbados, but also beyond its shores.
“Solar is not just the future for Barbados but all over. We may have to travel to other Caribbean islands and do solar installation on buildings. I can see the future in solar installation,” the Goodland, St Michael resident said.
