精东影视

鈥淚 was born with a tool belt on. As a little girl I was swinging off my dad 鈥榟elping鈥� around our small plot of land with fencing, building chicken coops, and other small jobs around the house,鈥� says Amy FitzPatrick, the founder and owner of Pink Sparky, an all-female electrical contracting company based in New Zealand鈥檚 Waikato region.

With 20 years of experience as an electrician and eight years running her own business, FitzPatrick is not only an expert in her field but also a passionate advocate for women in the trades.

Her company has grown to a team of six, including three qualified electricians, two apprentices and an office administrator, and she is dedicated to training women and helping them get qualified.

Her journey into the electrical trade began with sheer persistence. Despite excelling academically and being encouraged to attend university, she was drawn to hands-on work. 鈥淚 always knew I wanted to work with my hands,鈥� she says.

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When she found an electrical apprenticeship advertisement in the newspaper, she applied immediately but received no response.

Undeterred, she approached a local electrical contracting company in Cambridge, Waikato, and repeatedly visited its office until the boss finally relented.

鈥淚f you stop coming in every day, I鈥檒l give you two weeks鈥� work experience,鈥� he told her.

Those two weeks proved to be life-changing. 鈥淭hey put me through my paces, testing my resilience. But I loved it,鈥� she recalls. Her determination paid off when she was offered an apprenticeship, becoming the company鈥檚 first female apprentice. Her talent was soon recognised when she won the Most Promising Apprentice of 2005 award.

FitzPatrick credits much of her success to her mentor, Larry Finn, who taught her the intricacies of the trade and supported her throughout her career. 鈥淚 was fortunate to gain experience in a large variety of electrical work, which has served me well,鈥� she says.

Today, she is paying it forward, mentoring her own apprentices and ensuring they receive the same level of guidance and encouragement that she did.

I decided to set up a company where women could thrive, learn and be supported 

Amy FitzPatrick, founder and owner, Pink Sparky

Despite her strong work ethic and ability to hold her own on job sites, FitzPatrick faced significant challenges when transitioning into an office-based project manager role.

鈥淚 was bullied badly by a co-worker over a period of time, to the point where I quit,鈥� she shares. The experience, though painful, became the catalyst for her to start her own business. 鈥淚 vowed that I would never be treated that way again. I decided to set up a company where women could thrive, learn and be supported.鈥�

Now, eight years into running Pink Sparky, FitzPatrick finds immense fulfilment in seeing her team excel. 鈥淕oing into business was the scariest thing I鈥檝e ever done, but by far the best thing,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been churning out some fantastic electricians, and the relationships we鈥檝e built with our customers have been incredible.鈥�

FitzPatrick has also become an active voice for women in the trades. As a committee member for the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), she regularly speaks at 鈥渨omen in trades鈥� events, encouraging aspiring female electricians to pursue their dreams.

鈥淲e need to continue being visible and speaking out when we鈥檙e treated unfairly. The more we support each other, the more change we will see,鈥� she says.

Although progress has been made, FitzPatrick acknowledges that challenges remain for women entering traditionally male-dominated fields. 鈥淚t can still be rough for a woman putting on a tool belt and showing up to a site,鈥� she says.

鈥淏ut it can also be one of the best things we ever do. There鈥檚 something special about building something with your own hands and seeing it come to life.鈥�

FitzPatrick鈥檚 leadership and impact have not gone unnoticed. In July 2024, she was recognised as the Outstanding Leader of the Year (Site Based) at the National Association of Women in Construction Excellence Awards.

鈥淭hat award meant a lot to me,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut my biggest career achievements are seeing the women I鈥檝e trained become qualified electricians and watching my apprentices win awards of their own.鈥�

Asked what advice she would give to women considering a trade career, FitzPatrick is direct: 鈥淛ust do it! There are so many great employers and teachers out there who will support you. Seek them out, join organisations like NAWIC, and connect with the women in trades community. You won鈥檛 look back 鈥� know I haven鈥檛.鈥�