For Woolworths technician, Katie Hamill-Lovett, discovering the HVACR industry was like finding a hidden gem.
The 2021 Female Rising Star Award winner didn’t even know the trade existed before she began her apprenticeship.
“I had a hidden gem feeling about the job because the more I learnt about it the more it opened my eyes to a whole new world,” she says.
“Now I think it’s amazing that I get paid to do something I love to do.
“What I love most about this industry is how diverse and different it is, the possibilities are endless.”
Katie was one of only four females selected from 500 applicants to undertake an apprenticeship at Woolworths which is quite an accomplishment.
Katie says she was lucky to be thrown in the deep end and put on a complicated job early in her apprenticeship.
“I had the opportunity to be part of a C02 transcritical project that used water cooling instead of our usual condensers. Learning about such a complicated system in the first few months of my apprenticeship made a huge impact,” she says.
“It helped me understand how everything works and it all just clicked after that experience.”
The 19-year-old rising star is already thinking about her future and checking out different parts of the industry to explore down the track.
“I would love to eventually venture down the track of medical refrigeration. From what I have heard and researched it seems so interesting,” Katie says.
“I’m so grateful to be with such a big company that allows me to grow. After my apprenticeship I am eager to be a leading hand.
“Running jobs from start to finish, producing pipe routes, speaking with the commissioners and engineers while also leading a job sounds right up my alley.”
When she isn’t working, Katie enjoys rock climbing and riding her electric skateboard.
Sponsored by ABB, the winner of the rising star award was announced by ABB’s channel partner manager, Anna Barclay.