A new film is highlighting local firm RS Merriman on International Women’s Day, 8th March.

Founded just after the war, RS Merriman was instrumental in bringing electricity to Orkney, installing street lighting and domestic systems and becoming a key player when oil came in the 1980s.

RS Merriman, employs four female professionals in the front line of the electrical industry. The film shows how the established firm is now pioneering equality of opportunity.

Entitled Inspiring Inclusion, and available to view on SELECT’s YouTube channel, the film shows the women discussing why they decided to get into the sector and hears how much being a part of the electrical future means to them.

Qualified electrician and former Scottish Apprentice of the Year Melanie Smith said:

“I grew up on a farm and I wanted to be doing something outdoors and something with my hands. I just love that every day is different, going outside and doing different things.”

Shaynee Moar  is an apprentice. She added:

“I’m quite a practical person. I like problem-solving and fiddly things, so I thought that maybe being an electrician would suit me. I really, really enjoy it.”

SELECT, is Scotland’s largest construction trade association.

Alan Wilson, SELECT Managing Director, said:

“International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and we are pleased to highlight a progressive member company which is putting these aims into practical effect.

“The electrical sector in Scotland is committed to fair work for all and we applaud firms such as RS Merriman who are taking positive steps in the right direction and striving to become a shining light of quality and inclusion.

“However, we all have a part to play and the wider industry would do well to follow its example and aim towards a working environment in which it is unremarkable that women play a full and professional part.”

Charlotte Jarvis said:

“I also wanted a job that was out and about. I get to see all of Orkney this way, doing trips to the isles and everything, instead of being stuck in an office. I like actually making something instead of just sending emails all day.”

And Sadie Merriman explained how she progressed from electrician to Contracts Manager, adding:

“I had a bit of an epiphany one day and thought, ‘Why don’t I do an apprenticeship with the family company?’ For quite a number of years I was the only female in the electrical trade in Orkney.”

Produced in partnership with the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB), Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) and Unite the Union, the video  also coincides with Scottish Apprenticeship Week, which ends today, March 8.

Fiona Harper, Director of Employment and Skills at SELECT and The Secretary of the SJIB, said:

“As well as celebrating the role of women, this video also emphasise the importance of training and how the industry is getting our apprentices ready to take on the challenges of renewable installation and the transition to net zero.

“Apprentices are the future of the industry and, during Scottish Apprenticeship Week, we hope to encourage many more of them to consider an electrical apprenticeship as a rewarding career option.”