“During the course of solar photovoltaic installations I wanted to learn fast because there are job opportunities”

“During the course of solar photovoltaic installations I wanted to learn fast because there are job opportunities”

With previous experience in the field of electricity, Anush Dadayan has found a new sector that excites her: renewable energies. After five years out of work, this Ukrainian woman is already planning her future in this booming trade.

Anush arrived in Spain five years ago after training in electricity. After almost five years away from the industry, this 33-year-old Ukrainian has returned to her career. She has just completed a Certificate of Professionalism in “Assembly and maintenance of photovoltaic solar installations” at Fundación Laboral de la Construcción in Murcia and now wants to continue with renewable energies. For now, the thing that has stopped her is taking care of her daughter, of whom she was pregnant during the course. She has clear ideas, Anush does not close doors, and even if she is studying or working, she wants to work on what she has just learned.

QUESTION: What did you do before starting your training at the Fundación Laboral?

ANSWER: I have been living in Spain for five years. Since I have been here I have worked as a waitress for a couple of months and that is all. In Ukraine I got my degree in electrical engineering, but I have not been able to get approved in Spain and I can’t work here as a professional.

Q.- Were you able to work as an engineer in Ukraine?

A.- No. When I finished the degree I left there. I did the internship for the degree, during four months, and that was it.

Q.- So you started training in a field that you already know a bit about?

A.- Yes, I did it to improve my vocabulary and because, besides, this is something that interested me. I found out about this Certificate thanks to the teacher I had on another course of Fundación. It was a course on the development of industrial automation system projects and I finished it in February.

Q.- What was your experience like on this last course?

A.- Very good, I liked it very much. I have discovered things that I have found very interesting. In addition, we have done a lot of practice in the workshop.

Q.- Why you have chosen to install solar photovoltaic systems?

A.- Because renewable energies attract my attention. I thought of starting in this area because I think that with these courses and my degree it will be easier for me to work on it. I also try to do a master’s degree in renewable energies. So, with these courses, I also get a bit of freedom, I’m sure everything helps. My intention is to continue training and working on this. Let’s see what comes out first, whether the master’s degree or work, but in this sector, which is what I like.

Q.- With this Certificate you have also had internships in companies, what has the experience been like?

A.- Yes, we have spent about 120 hours and I have been very good at it. There we only saw the installation, the design was already done. I have been able to apply part of what we have seen in the course.

Q.- Were there more girls on the course?

A.- No, I was the only girl on the course. With my classmates it was very good and I didn’t have any problems. At the beginning we were a lot, but at the end of the course we stayed about twelve. Everyone was very involved, I was very interested in the subject and I wanted to learn fast because there are job opportunities.

Q.- What surprised you most about what you saw on the course?

A.- I saw that I hardly knew anything and now I could do everything, even make an installation by myself. I can make plans for the installation, because we have done a lot of practice on it. The course was about assembly and installation, but we also spent a lot of time on design.

Q.- You were already managing a bit because of your experience…

A.- Yes, especially in the area of electricity. In the other modules, I was at the level of my colleagues, so everything was fine.

Q.- Did you consider starting to train earlier?

A.- I started to think about training when my first daughter was born, a year and a half ago, because I already knew the language. When I arrived in Spain I didn’t speak Spanish.

Q.- Why do you think more women are not encouraged to be part of the construction sector?

A.- I don’t know. I think that there is not much information about the courses or because maybe they think that these courses are not going to be useful to them. It is believed that the topics of assembly are more for boys, but the truth is that girls can also.

Q.- What would you say to a girl who is thinking to start in the construction sector?

A.- I would tell her that, at least, she is aiming to try. But I think that when it comes to hiring, they will prefer a boy. They are going to say “this is too heavy” or “a girl is not going to be able to do this”. I don’t care about any discrimination. I am going to continue training in this because I am interested.