Caitlyn Knox: Komatsu plant mechanic at Fairfield nominated for state apprentice of the year

While she’s only one of eight females in her workplace, Caitlyn Knox has become a leader for women in southwest Sydney in her role as a plant engineer at Komatsu in Fairfield. Read her inspiring story.

Caitlyn is a plant mechanic at Komatsu in Fairfield.

When she was working in retail more than five years ago, Caitlin Knox knew she needed to transition into a more challenging job where no two days are the same.

While she’s only one of eight females in her workplace, Knox has become a leader for women in southwest Sydney after being nominated for Apprentice of the Year.

The 28-year-old currently works as a plant mechanic at Komatsu – a manufacturing business that builds construction, mining, forestry and industrial equipment – in Fairfield.

In NSW, women are under-represented in trades across a range of sectors and only make up two per cent of workers in industries, including automotive and building, according to state government data.

Ms Knox said she isn’t surprised by the statistics as women are an “untapped side of workers” due to reservations and stereotypes that come with the role.

“Trades are very much considered a male dominated industry but we’re trying to move towards labelling the sector as women in non-traditional trades just to go away from that stereotype,” she said.

Caitlyn works as a mobile plant mechanic at Komatsu in Fairfield.

Since she started her role, the Warwick Farm local said her workplace had gone from having three to now eight female workers.

“We’ve nearly tripled the numbers (of females) and we’re seeing more women coming to trade events because we need to get the message that women can do this,” she said.

“It’s not a male dominated industry, it’s just an industry.”

During her career, Ms Knox never felt her gender held her back as cultural thinking behind women in trade had started to shift.

“When I started I was the only female apprentice so there were some hurdles as some blokes were old school in thinking ‘what was a woman doing coming to their workplace’,” she said.

“Someone thought I wasn’t strong enough and it was a matter of going ‘okay I’m not as muscular but we have overhead cranes and I can still get the job done’.”

Caitlyn is a plant mechanic at Komatsu in Fairfield.

Caitlyn is a plant mechanic at Komatsu in Fairfield.

She said while you hear of horror stories, a lot of those issues come down to personalities clashing.

“You’re not going to get along with everyone and that’s every workplace but 90 per cent of places aren’t like that and if you’re willing to learn most workplaces like my own are very supportive,” she said.

“A lot of places are realising the skills female candidates can bring, like thinking outside the box which is an important part of the job.”

While Ms Knox missed out on winning Apprentice of the Year at the State Training Awards, she said she hoped she can inspire the next generation of females to join a trade.

“I think we need to empower people, female and male that they can do this because we’re a dying skill trade and if we don’t get them now we don’t have them in the future,” she said.