From paramedic to electrical apprentice: how Shanice changed careers at 30

Before she ever touched a wire, Shanice was a paramedic — first in London, then across Victoria. She was drawn to the fast pace, the adrenaline, and the human connection that comes with responding to emergencies.

‘The thing I enjoyed most about working as a paramedic was meeting people from diverse backgrounds and learning about their life and comforting them in their most vulnerable moments,’ she said.

But after a decade in emergency healthcare, the cumulative toll of shift work began to wear on her. Missed birthdays. Missed Christmases. A growing sense that the career she’d committed her 20s to, no longer felt sustainable.

‘After 10 years in emergency healthcare, I missed people’s birthdays, Christmas and big life events and thought… I’m over this!’

What made Shanice consider a trade apprenticeship?

The turning point came during a home renovation. While working part-time for Ambulance Victoria, Shanice spent her days off renovating her home with her partner. Something clicked.

‘After buying a home and doing some home renovations with my partner I realised that I really enjoyed working with tools and seeing things come together that I created or fixed,’ she said.

That realisation that she wanted a career built around making and fixing things led her to research the trades. She landed on electrical work and started looking for a way in.

How did Shanice find and start her electrical apprenticeship in Victoria?

Shanice came across Impact Apprentices through a social media advertisement for their skills and development centre. She enrolled in their weeklong introductory course — a practical way to test the career without fully committing to a pre=apprenticeship course.

‘The weeklong course gave me enough knowledge and skills to get out there and start applying for jobs and made me feel confident that I had what it took,’ she said.

What impressed her as much as the course content was the organisation running it. She noticed how well Impact was structured, the quality of the staff, and the level of support available. She decided she wanted to do her full apprenticeship with them.

‘I just knew that I wanted to do my apprenticeship with them and I’m so glad I reached out.’

What is it like being a woman in an electrical apprenticeship?

Shanice is candid about the fact that walking onto a job site as a mature-age woman in a male-dominated trade came with some nerves. But her experience on the ground has been positive.

‘Being a mature aged female, I’d be wrong to have a little bit of worry heading into a male dominated industry, but I’ve had nothing but good interactions from everyone on site,’ she said.

She thrives on the pace and the people — qualities that remind her, in the best way, of what she loved about paramedicine. The difference is that she’s now building something tangible, and she finishes each day feeling genuinely energised.

Is it worth changing careers into a trade later in life?

For Shanice, the answer is an unambiguous yes — though she acknowledges the practical realities. A career change means adjusting to an apprentice wage and going back to study. Neither is trivial. But she frames it clearly:

‘At the end of the day happiness is the most important thing, trust me. I went from dreading work every day to waking up and being excited and content knowing that I’m going to learn something new, be surrounded by great people and feel keen to wake up and do it all again tomorrow.’

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Her advice for anyone on the fence? Don’t wait for the perfect moment.

‘Go for it. If you aren’t happy with what you are doing or feel like a change, then switch careers. You can always go back if you don’t like it or change again.’

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