International Women's Day!

International Women's Day is the 8th March and here at the NCC Training Academy we wanted to celebrate some of the women succeeding in the leisure vehicle industry.

Below are some profiles, that we hope will highlight their skills and encourage more women into all sectors of the industry.

Name
Emily Bradshaw

Company
Charnwood caravan services

Position
mobile engineer 

Time in industry
3 years

What gets you motivated first thing in the morning?
We are small family ran business, and the drive to keep up our standards and keep customers happy gets me motivated! Can't forget the essential cut of tea too. 

Who has inspired you and why?
I am very fortunate to be surrounded by strong, independent women and have been my whole life. I am also incredibly lucky to have male role models, such as my dad, that have never set me limitations due to my gender. My dad is a heating and gas engineer, and taught me to use various tools from a young age. Through my dads job, I have met various females in various male dominated roles, such as the first woman to work on the tools  for our local council, highlighting that I was capable of any job that interested me. 

How would you encourage more women into our sector?
I would encourage the break down of psychological barriers, as there is often nothing physically stopping women from doing so! I attended a local college to complete my apprenticeship in the caravan and motorhome industry, where not only was I the only female on the course, I didn't see any other female students in the college. I wasn't treated any differently to anyone other student. I knew I had as much right to be there as the next person, and wanted to be able to prove that there was no limits within this industry due to my gender! I have also attended my local school (which is an all girls school) to talk about my job role, and felt that those were interested in joining a male dominated role, felt a lot more ease by just seeing a woman doing so, and to ask those 'silly' questions that were on their mind, which they didn't feel comfortable asking a male. We have come a long way for me to able to do this job in such a confident manner, and feel that women like myself should be seen more!

What is your most memorable achievement?
I am very proud of the work I do and every job is an achievement, its rare two jobs are the same! However, I am incredibly proud of completing my apprenticeship and going on to show young women that they are more than capable of doing so themselves. 

What advice would you give to encourage someone to join our industry?
Be confident. You belong here as much as the next person, and there is a lot that actually weighs in our favour being female. Naturally, as females, we tend to take a different approach to problem solving to what a male would and this can give a whole new spin to the meaning of team work. Learn to use this to your advantage. However, asking for help when needed is not a weak point, it actually enables you to grow, along with making new contacts in the industry. I would say if it interests you, then take the plunge, as you certainly won't regret it! 

Name
Marie Towndrow

Company
Habcheck Ltd

Position
Habcheck Franchise Manager

Time in industry
9 Years

What gets you motivated first thing in the morning?
My family are my greatest motivation, mornings in our household are hectic but we continually strive for a better life, and encourage our children to ask questions, be inquisitive and confident.

Who has inspired you and why?
I come from a long line of strong women who have inspired me – My mothers dedication to her family, putting others first and making both myself and my sister believe we could do more, be more, achieve our goals.

Princess Ann was a huge influence when I was younger showing its possible to be at the top of your game in a male dominated sport.

And I will never forget watching “Christa McAuliffe” the first civilian to enter space boarding the space shuttle “Challenger” the excitement and the tragedy that unfolded, she was truly inspirational.

How would you encourage more women into our sector?
I am always on the lookout for female engineers, I would love the opportunity to demonstrate that the motorhome service world is accessible to women, we are looking at launching a promotional campaign to attract female engineers to Habcheck – watch this space!

What is your most memorable achievement?
In 2016 I was asked to Project Manage a new business idea – Habcheck – to date we have devised systems, implemented processes, and successfully covered the Nation with Habcheck engineers providing people with a dealership standard service on their driveway. We have plenty more ideas up our sleeve, I am looking forward to 2025 and beyond.

What advice would you give to encourage someone to join our industry
Our industry is growing year on year with new opportunities appearing daily, new levels of management, employment, and development. It is proven that women in senior positions enhance business across all sectors so keep striving, stay positive, and remember your opinion counts.  

Name
Lydia Battersby

Company
Grantham’s

Position
Trainee Caravan Technician

Time in Industry
1.75 years

What gets you motivated first thing in the morning?
I look forward to my day because I know I will get great job satisfaction as I can physically see the work that I have completed, and I enjoy learning new skills.

Who has inspired you and why?
The only female inspiration I can think of is a bit of a random one, Colette Davis, who is an American YouTuber and racing driver. I have always enjoyed watching her videos as she does all her own mechanical work and is an incredible driver. This really shows how women can blossom in a predominantly male industry.

How would you encourage more women into our sector?
As far as encouraging more women into the industry as a whole is not a difficult task as there are a lot of office jobs which tend to attract females, however, I think encouraging women to become caravan technicians may prove more difficult as it is understandably less appealing to your average female due to the way society is. Nearly all of my female friends are in the beauty or care giving industry and I think that it is not often known what other options are out there. I have always had a strong interest in automotive and aviation industries. I think that promoting engineering to younger women would be a great way of getting more women into the industry and going into detail about the achievements and qualifications one can acquire whilst working with caravans.

What is your most memorable achievement?
I would say that I have multiple memorable achievements whilst working as a caravan technician due to the courses which I have completed. I get a great sense of accomplishment with each one I complete, and I have thoroughly enjoyed doing them.

What advice would you give to encourage someone to join our industry?
Advice I would give to women joining the caravan industry would be always do your very best because the job is more rewarding than you think it’s going to be whether it be completing a course, doing a service, or fitting a motor mover, you can see all of your achievements and progression as a technician.

 Name

Hannah Cole

Company
National Caravan Council

Position
Training Academy Manager

Time in industry

8 years

What gets you motivated first thing in the morning?
I try to start the day with a gym session or a long dog walk, this gets my body & mind awake and sometimes helps my creative juices flow. To get me motivated I always like to write a to do list, I get satisfaction by crossing things off one by one.  

Who has inspired you and why?
A big inspiration for me is our membership director Sarah, since I took the role of training academy manager 4 years ago, she has consistently offered her support & guidance, she helped my confidence grow in my new role and seeing her career develop is an inspiration to do the same with mine. She also didn’t mind listening to me cry over the phone when my puppy was chewing everything!

How would you encourage more women into our sector
To encourage more women into our sector, I think we need to reach younger audiences, to show school & college leavers that there are many opportunities for women in our industry across the different sectors, that they are more than capable of. Highlighting some of the women here, I hope will show that it is possible to thrive in the leisure vehicle industry as a woman.

What is your most memorable achievement?
I don’t think I have one that sticks out the most, my mind goes to lots of “little wins” I have had, such as initially growing my self-confidence to believe I can run the academy well, developing industry leading online electrical training, and achieving my prince2 practitioner certificate. When my team and the candidates are happy, I am proud of the Training Academy.

What advice would you give to encourage someone to join our industry?
Encouraging women to join the leisure vehicle industry requires a combination of highlighting opportunities, breaking down barriers, and promoting a sense of community. There is support & guidance available, I know myself and a lot of the successful women I work with, would love to offer advice to people looking to join industry and show how enjoyable it can be.

Name
Rebekah Lane-Sargent

Company
Sargent Electrical Services

Position
Business Development Executive

Time in industry
10 Years 3 months

What gets you motivated first thing in the morning?
I enjoy being part of a company where we are always developing new products and that my opinion is valued in our team.

Who has inspired you and why?
My mum (Ann Sargent) is one of my biggest inspirations, she was raised by my nanna who was a single parent and has come from a humble background. When my dad & uncle (Ian & Neil) had the idea to start the business my mum was there for support but also to aid them in the whole startup process. 34 years on, my mum is still a very hard working and active member of business who is self taught in her role as Finance Director. For me, proof you can do anything if you put your mind to it and that hard work really does pay off.

How would you encourage more women into our sector?
I would say that even though I have had times where my knowledge has been questioned because of my gender. I have seen so much positive change in the last 10 years in views & opinions of fellow industry members. I find it so inspiring the amount of women that I see in positions of power across the leisure sector and I think more women should look to this for inspiration.

What is your most memorable achievement?
1 Year ago, I was presented with a promotion opportunity by our commercial director (Nigel) to the position of Business Development Executive. This was in recognition of my efforts in understanding the products that we manufacture but also the new business that I had brought to the company in my previous Sales Representative role. Some members of the industry may not be aware that I have severe dyslexia which can affect aspects of my work life, but I have continued to push myself throughout my career to work with these difficulties. I felt very proud that my hard work had been noticed and I'm inspired to take on new challenges within my promotion.

What advice would you give to encourage someone to join our industry?
I would recommend to women looking to join the sector that asking questions is never a bad idea to expand your knowledge. My colleagues have been a great source of support throughout my 10 year journey so far and the friendly nature of the leisure sector also creates a positive environment to be a part of. We are still a male dominated industry but I truly believe this is slowly changing and more women are feeling confident to join the sector. Also there is nothing more rewarding than seeing your products that you have helped to develop being shown in customer's vehicles.

Name
Sarah Wigmore

Company
National Caravan Council

Position
Director of Membership Services

Time in industry
15 years

What gets you motivated first thing in the morning?
Every day is a new day to promote our industry and network with people to drive membership of the NCC.

Who has inspired you and why?
A friend once encouraged me to pursue a degree and gave me the confidence to believe I could do it, I am now proud to hold a degree in Business.

How would you encourage more women into our sector?
Encouraging more women into the leisure vehicle industry is essential for fostering diversity and innovation, I believe it is key to highlight opportunities for growth & impact. I personally can offer mentorship & support. As a part of the NCC I have the opportunity to reach out to wider audiences through marketing, advertising & networking to promote the variety of roles and potential career growth opportunities.

What is your most memorable achievement?
Some of the most memorable achievements have been raising a family, achieving my degree and getting the role of Director of Membership Services.

What advice would you give to encourage someone to join our industry?
I would say to anyone considering joining our industry, take the leap and find your groove, there is a sense of community in the leisure vehicle industry, and we like to help & support where we can, so they won’t be alone.

Name
Catherine (Cat) Andrews

Company
Blackmore Vale Leisure / Abacus Motorhomes

Position
Group Operations Manager

Time in industry
19 Years

What gets you motivated first thing in the morning?
Working in such a fulfilling industry where you meet so many people who chose us to look after their caravan or motorhome purchase and onwards journey. When they come back for servicing I enjoy hearing about their adventures and sometimes we even get to watch their families grow. I enjoy working with such an amazing team and being able to support the development of the business.

Who has inspired you and why?
My mum. She is amazing. She has six children and was a servicing police officer until recently retiring after 30 years on the front line. She managed to juggle a large family with her career and taught us to have a good work ethic and that hard work really does pay off. She is an incredible role model and I am a really proud to call her mum.

How would you encourage more women into our sector?
I am lucky to work within a company that has a really good balance in the team. In every area of our industry there is a place for everyone if you are willing to learn, the roles are not defined by anything other then your own ambition and drive.

What is your most memorable achievement?
We have been so blessed to have won customer satisfaction awards as a team. Which really validates that we put our customers first and they value what we do for them. To have received our first award in 2018 really was the most memorable work achievement for me.

What advice would you give to encourage someone to join our industry?
Reach out and network, the industry is very friendly and I have always found it supportive, both, where I have worked ( I have amazing colleagues and mentors) and also in the wider industry.