Finding her tribe

Sometimes the perfect job is less about what you do, and more about who you do it with. After initially being discouraged from an automotive career after a negative workplace experience, Chelsea Bowers has returned to the industry she loves and is now thriving thanks to being a part of close-knit team.

With a keen interest in cars from a young age, it was no surprise when Chelsea decided to pursue a career in the automotive industry.

"I have a 1970 Volkswagen Beetle and it has consumed my life when it comes to fixing that, so it definitely taught me the skills that I need to get into the industry," Chelsea said.

Starting off with a school-based apprenticeship, Chelsea was thrilled to be able to get a head start on her future career and experience an entirely different learning style to school.

"When I went to TAFE, I found it was this whole new world.

"We can actually take our time experimenting with what goes wrong – push this button, move this thing, what's going to work? I think it solidified my knowledge tenfold."

But despite loving the hands-on learning environment, Chelsea struggled with a negative workplace culture that didn't encourage young apprentices like her to thrive.

"There were a lot of challenges, I'm not going to step past that. I think it's important to share those details as much as the good parts," she said.

Switching gears

Thinking the automotive industry wasn't the right fit for her, Chelsea decided to try her hand at university in a completely different field, studying biology, psychology and philosophy.

"It was night and day going from an apprenticeship to university.

"I did it online too, so I found that going from a hands-on, knowledge-based application to sitting down in a chair all day focusing on the screen wasn't for me – I'm very much more so a hands-on learner."

While Chelsea found the content at university engaging, she found herself wishing she was back in the workshop. So once she returned from a holiday study break, she decided to find a new employer to finish her apprenticeship with.

"I walked into John Edwards Automotive and I wasn't sure what I was going to face," Chelsea said.

"I ended up having the best week of my life! Learning everything, realising that I'm not crazy; this is what a real workshop is meant to be like, this is what a nurturing environment is – that it exists in the automotive industry.

"As soon as I realised that these were the people for me, it was easy."

A fresh start

Chelsea found that John had a supportive and inclusive approach to his apprentice training.

"John prioritises training for us as mechanics, because the better your mechanics are, the more successful your business is.

"He's spent quite a lot of money training us up which I don't take for granted, especially since I've been on the other end of a not-so-successful workshop."

As well as investing in their training, John also provides a supportive environment for his apprentices to grow and thrive.

"I find that John's like a second dad, every issue that goes on in my life I can openly speak about. It's a really safe place to voice my problems and opinions where there's no hierarchy and always positive feedback," she said.

Breaking the mould

While some of Chelsea's friends and family were initially surprised by her choice to become a mechanic, Chelsea says that being a minority in the industry hasn't been an issue now that she’s found her tribe.

"You don't have to be one of the boys – I'm not a boy, I'm a person just trying to do my job.

"And it sounds a bit crazy, but I don't even notice it anymore – I find that if you're comfortable where you are, it shouldn't matter."

While her career in the industry had a bit of a rocky start, it's safe to say that Chelsea is now well and truly loving her job and especially enjoys the many challenges and obstacles she gets to overcome on a regular basis.

"I'm not gonna lie, it's not easy every day – I don't think there's a job where it is easy every day – but I do grow and develop every single day.

"There's something so satisfying about doing this huge job that you've never done before, that was difficult, where you've broken things, then you've fixed those things, and you've been able to smash it out of the park. That's really satisfying."

For any other women or young girls considering doing an apprenticeship, Chelsea's advice is to jump straight in.

"If there's any women out there that are looking to get into a trade, or specifically the automotive industry which is my passion, just give it a go. You never know if it's going to spark your passion or you're going to find your feet in the industry, and it might end up being the best thing you've ever done in your life."

More information

Find out how you can become an apprentice or trainee.