Apprentice electrician following in her father’s footsteps now dreams of having her own business

Having grown up helping her dad with his plumbing business, when 18-year-old Liberty apprentice Marissa left college, she knew she wanted to follow in his footsteps in some way.

Marissa, from Liverpool, completed her Level 3 BTEC in business at college after finishing secondary school.

The apprentice, who lives at home with her parents and has always been keen to get stuck into work, started in Liberty’s electric team in September 2022.

“My dad’s a plumber so I’ve grown up giving him a hand. Although I didn’t have to do a work placement for my business diploma, I got a part-time job doing maintenance at a hotel in Liverpool city centre. It all just seemed to make sense, and I dream of one day having my own electrician company!”

Marissa had been actively looking for apprenticeships when she came across Liverpool-based property services company Liberty.

“I applied to quite a few and had a fair few interviews too, but Liberty stood out. I got to meet a manager and he was so down-to-earth and lovely. I knew there and then that it was what I was looking for!”

Now Marissa spends one day a week at college learning theory, and four days out on the road with Liberty’s teams, doing repair and maintenance work on homes across the Liverpool and Wirral area.

“There was a lot of travelling to get used to at the start, but I enjoy getting out and about, says Marissa.

“The course is for four years, and I see myself staying after that too, and progressing. The hours are good and the people are the best, they’ve been really welcoming and are such a laugh!

“I feel great here, so happy in my role. I’m the only girl in the electrics team but I fitted in straight away. I can’t believe it’s been four months already – the time’s just flown by.”

Marissa’s enjoying making friends with her course mates too, swapping stories and comparing experiences with them.

When she gets home, Marissa and her dad will then chat about their days. “He loves that I’ve gone into a trade like he has! I tell him what I’ve learnt and he tests me on what I’ve done – but sometimes I know more than he does! I suppose it’s just fresher in my mind. But he’s so proud.”

Marissa is enthusiastic about her future at Liberty and is excited to get up for work each day. “I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship. If you know what you want to do, it’s great because you’re learning all the time on the job. It’s a brilliant way to kickstart your career.”

Liberty is part of The 5% Club, a pledge to have at least 5% of their workforce made up of apprentices. As it stands, 7% of their staff are apprentices across all trades. Read more about apprenticeships at Liberty here.