One of Richmond Glass’s apprentice glaziers, Jess Foster-Lawrence, has not only finished at the top of her class for her second year of training, but she has also secured an IAG scholarship for her apprenticeship.
Each year IAG New Zealand offers support to a number of trade apprentices through its Trades Scholarship Programme.
This year’s winner Jess says, “being an insurance company, IAG use trades all of the time. So in offering the scholarship, that is their way of giving back.”
IAG media relations specialist Jess Etheridge says, “IAG’s core business is based around helping people to recover from misfortune. Our insurance brands handle around half a million insurance claims each year and we are reliant on our trade partners to help us put things right for our customers. It is important to us that any repair work is carried out by experts and to enable this we need the skills and expertise of people across a diverse range of professions and disciplines.”
A glazier is a skilled tradesperson, responsible for cutting, installing and removing glass.
Jess is an avid rugby player, playing for Waimea Old Boys and the Tasman Womens team. She loves her job and the training she has had so far, “James Glover, the owner, gave me a chance and I love it here. It’s a real variety of work each day. Being in a small place you see all kinds of things and meet all kinds of people. And we are out there doing it, we are the face of the business, I quite enjoy that,” remarks Jess.
“It is going forward, that women are going into the industry. It is about equal opportunity and having the opportunity to do it.”
James Glover, Richmond Glass owner, says they are pleased to be supporting Jess through her apprenticeship. “Jess’s scholarship is well deserved and a testament to the effort she puts into her studies and her work. She is an absolute asset to our business. We at Richmond Glass are also proud to be encouraging more women into trades and value the different skills and focus they bring to the industry. We currently have four women on the team, ranging from being new to the job right through to being fully qualified.”