On this International Women's Day, we have the pleasure of interviewing Tara from Litegreen, a trailblazer in a typically male-dominated industry.

Today and every day, we want to celebrate the remarkable women across various fields, including those in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which also includes our domestic energy and retrofit assessors. Despite their invaluable contributions, women still encounter obstacles and biases that affect their opportunities. That's why we're excited to introduce Tara Pearson, a successful woman in STEM, for an interview.

Tara has dedicated over a decade to our industry and has been a vocal advocate for workplace diversity and inclusion. She's a qualified Domestic Energy Expert and Retrofit Assessor, with a Bachelor of Arts from Chester University. Additionally, she's a business owner and mother. As a valued member of the Litegreen team, Tara will share her insights and experiences as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry. She'll also provide valuable advice for those aspiring to pursue careers in energy, construction, and STEM industries like ours. Let's get started!

1. Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women's Day?

To recognise the important contribution women have made in the workplace, communities and society as a whole, especially after having previous recognition denied for so many years.

2. You’re in a Male dominant industry. Have you faced any barriers in your career or daily work life due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them?

In previous employment as a property valuer I certainly faced barriers on a regular basis, mostly from men who would question my abilities and even ask my age! Whilst working as a Energy and Retrofit Assessor this has been a lot less, maybe because parts of the industry still seems quite new to the general public and so there is less awareness and knowledge around it. The main issues I face now are around childcare and although my husband, family and employers at Litegreen are all fully flexible and supportive, my primary responsibilities will always be to the welfare of my children which basically results in me not being able to work as many hours as other colleagues.

3. What is the most important piece of advice you have been given about work?

For me, the most important piece of advice I’ve personally been given was to be kind, make friends, make an effort in the workplace - buy a packet of biscuits, make everyone a cup of tea. Afterall a lot of people will spend more hours of their days with their work colleagues than their own family. I am a very task-oriented driven person and although I really enjoy working as part of a team, my strengths are definitely in my independence, my problem solving skills and technical ability.

4. You’ve also run your own business for many years alongside your work with Litegreen. How can businesses encourage more women to pursue entrepreneurship or leadership roles in their career in this industry?

I think a lot of it has to start from an education level in schools and colleges. Traditionally science but particularly technology has been seen as more of a boys subject but this is gradually changing. More work still needs to be done to encourage girls to follow these types of subjects and engage in STEM projects in High School and further education. Following this, businesses would hopefully appeal to more female graduates within this industry and likewise females will want to pursue a career in these subjects. For this change to happen, there would need to be an awareness from all aspects of society and the media and how we view these roles and companies through what we are fed in society- commercials and advertising for example will be predominately male as that is what is expected, so there would need to be a conscious change to include a lot more females to reverse the general public's perception. I know commercials and advertising are trying to be more diverse in this way so hopefully it won't be too long before we see this shift happening.

5. What advice do you have for women starting out in this industry?

Don’t be afraid to ask. I found that although I finished all my training before becoming a fully qualified Domestic Energy Assessor, I personally felt like I was learning on the job. A bit like passing your driving test - you don't start learning properly until you've passed! I’ve been doing the job for over 10 years now and I’m still coming across stuff I have never seen before. You are not expected to know everything from word go- it's impossible. So don’t be afraid to seek advice and support from your team and definitely don’t be afraid to ask because you're a woman and you think you'll be judged for asking!

6. What is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers in any industry?

Don’t be a sheep, just be you. And if it's not right for you, there will be something that is. Don’t get swept away with the crowd and the 9 to 5, follow and do what you believe is for you and it wont feel like work then anyway.

7. Is there anyone that inspires you in your career?

I am fortunate enough to work with people all the time who inspire me and I guess that is the result of the previous questions answer!

8. How do you succeed in a male dominated environment? What advice would you give?

This question was easier to answer in my previous employment as a property valuer as I was told by a couple of male colleagues that I wouldn't be able to do their jobs and I just used those comments to fuel my desire to prove them even more wrong. I admit now I am the only female within my team at Litegreen as there is still a huge imbalance in female representation in the industry, but I can't say I particularly feel it at Litegreen! I just get on with my job and fortunately I have extremely understanding and supportive bosses in Shanone, Dave and Alex and colleagues who are supercool with any challenging days I may have had. I would say to any other women who work in a male-dominated environment to just to be yourself and take any negative comments from males like I had as a compliment- if they didn't see you as a threat they wouldn't need to try and put you down.

9. How can men and women in senior positions encourage more women to consider careers in the energy and construction industries?

I think a lot of this will start from how the company is portrayed- are they producing leaflets with photographs and images of females in post? Or are they still using the traditional photo stock image of a man in a hard hat? I like what Elmhurst (an accreditation body Litegreen must adhere to when surveying homes for energy efficiency) has done though with creating a women assessor’s support group which are very active and provide free webinars for mutual advice and support. This makes us feel valued and is a good move to encourage any other females who are thinking of this career as an option. I’m not sure how many of the other industry schemes have something similar but if they haven’t it would be a great start! 

Thanks for taking part Tara! It has left us with plenty of food for thought as we move forward. Your insights and ideas have challenged us to think critically and examine the issues from a different perspective too. We really hope it does the same for others. 

Interested in learning more about our team? Browse through our "About Us" page here:

The expertise of Domestic Energy Assessors and Retrofit Assessors is crucial in the energy and construction/buildings industry. Their main objective is to improve the energy efficiency, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness of buildings for homeowners, Local Authorities, and businesses, while adhering to strict industry standards and continued professional development to keep skills current.

The overall aim of our team of energy experts is to advance the large-scale retrofitting of low-carbon, energy-efficient homes across Wrexham, Wales and the UK.

To achieve this, our team employ STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills to measure and analyse various factors that impact the energy performance of buildings & balance this with the needs of individuals living in the home. We call this  'whole house approach'. 

They use specialised tools and equipment to collect data and generate complex floor plans and reports on energy consumption, insulation, heating systems, and lighting, relying on their knowledge of physics, technical drawing, thermodynamics, and mathematics.

Critical-thinking and problem-solving skills are essential for our assessors as they provide detailed recommendations for improvements that consider factors such as cost-effectiveness, environmental impact, and safety.

By promoting energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, Domestic Energy Assessors and Retrofit Assessors help lower energy costs and create more sustainable properties, ultimately contributing to the protection of our planet.