Electrical contractor

Jacqueline Gunn works on a dream island - Skye. She completed her Modern Apprenticeship course in electrical installation 2 years ago, working for her father, Angus McLeod, an electrical contractor on Skye.

A burning ambition since she left school, it meant hard work and determination, entailing a round trip of 180 miles to college in Inverness for block release.

Jacqueline, a late starter on the Modern Apprenticeship scheme, began with Scotvec modules and switched over to the MA course run by SECTT using NET SVQ Level 3 standards under a special late-starter scheme sponsored by Lanarkshire LEC.

The family firm looks after the total heating system for the Hydro Board for the whole of Skye. The other work is far-ranging and includes quarries, fish processing as well as domestic electrical contracting, such as re-wiring houses. But there's a constant need to keep up to date with changes and advances in the industry and new regulations.

Her father is very pleased with the Modern Apprenticeship scheme and finds it the only answer to the labour shortage on the island

Asked if she'd experienced any problems being female in a predominantly male world, she said that at times it worked to her advantage as quite often she went into homes where a woman was on her own and the customers were very happy.

"I like the variety and meeting new people. You're not stuck in one place all the time", she said.

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