Emma's Student Life Story

About Emma

A career change

When the pandemic shut hospitality down, Emma swapped pub management for a pre-apprenticeship in electrical trades.

Hands-on mastery

Working on industrial furnaces, Emma built skills in wiring, fault finding and sustainable energy — earning a nomination for Victorian Apprentice of the Year.

Guiding the next generation

Emma now teaches Electrotechnology at Swinburne, encouraging others — especially women in trades — to take the first step.

Changing environment

Emma’s career began in events management in her home country of England, before managing pubs in Melbourne until the pandemic shut everything down. Seeing government campaigns encouraging women into trades guided Emma to a pre-apprenticeship course through Swinburne.

This allowed her to apply practical knowledge, with a small amount of theory, in an environment that supported her learning style. Having grown up with dyslexia, traditional schooling had been a challenge for Emma.

Shifting to a more practical learning environment boosted her confidence and capability, allowing Emma to apply theory directly to real work.Throughout her apprenticeship, she developed skills in control wiring, fault finding, interpreting schematics and working with industrial and medical-grade systems.

Emma Reece takes a selfie in a warehouse

Finding her spark

Working at a manufacturing company that builds custom industrial furnaces for industries including mining, medical and food processing, one of the largest projects Emma was involved with was a chip oven 12 metres long!

Emma says she enjoyed the pace of this fast-evolving industry, particularly in sustainable energy. Being a leader in this area came naturally and allowed her to help bring the organisation along the journey to reduce wastage. This was exemplified in a project with Downer where they transitioned away from gas using solar wind farms to completely power their electrical ovens.

Of her choice in trade, Emma says completing an electrical apprenticeship has been one of the most rewarding decisions she’s made. A highlight during her apprenticeship was being nominated for the Victorian Training Awards Apprentice of the Year, which Emma says shows the incredible support she received from Swinburne throughout her study.

Paying it forward

Emma has now moved into an Electrotechnology teaching role at Swinburne, supporting students to build practical skills and confidence in the trade. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and encouraging others to succeed, while remaining up to date with industry movements. She regularly participates in professional development and keeps in touch with industry networks.

‘My advice to others is you’re never too old to try something new – just take the first step. Particularly for women in trades, make sure you have a good support network around you, and you can succeed.’

"My advice to others is you’re never too old to try something new – just take the first step. Particularly for women in trades, make sure you have a good support network around you, and you can succeed."

Emma , Certificate III Electrotechnology