Produced by the Sheffield Film Co-op for the Nottinghamshire Women’s Training Scheme, a documentary made to promote the work of this women-only training scheme to provide education and trade skills in professions not normally associated with women such as electronics, plumbing, motor mechanics and heavy goods vehicle driving. The film speaks with many of those who are employed at the centre both in regards the courses they run as well as the support they provide. The film also speaks with...

Produced by the Sheffield Film Co-op for the Nottinghamshire Women’s Training Scheme, a documentary made to promote the work of this women-only training scheme to provide education and trade skills in professions not normally associated with women such as electronics, plumbing, motor mechanics and heavy goods vehicle driving. The film speaks with many of those who are employed at the centre both in regards the courses they run as well as the support they provide. The film also speaks with many of the participants about what they have learned and gained from the experience. A montage of women in training at the Nottinghamshire Women’s Training Scheme centre learning professional trades such being a mechanics, electrician and heavy goods driver. The sequence ends with a group of them sitting and chatting happily on a set of steps outside the centre. Title: Women Can Make It Work Rose Ardron Co-Ordinator at the centre explains that the work they do is to give women the opportunity to do something for themselves and to do training in areas you wouldn’t normally find women. As she speaks a man arrives at the centre passing a woman cleaning a sign outside. This is followed by another montage of women in training working in additional trades featured at the start including carpentry and plumbing. As Outreach Workers Sally Laver and Kim Young provide details about how women join the scheme, a montage of Sally going through the process from answering an initial telephone enquiry, visiting the woman in her home through to her taking her and other woman on a tour of the centre to meet both instructors as well as other women on the course. A new student signs paperwork before starting her course, three other women leave the centre one walking with her child. Following Sally providing details on how she and Kim work as support workers, outside sitting on the grass a group of women speak about being on the scheme and what Sally and Kim have done to assist their needs with regards transport and childcare. As Sally and Kim provide further details with regards assisting with these two issues children playing happily at the nearby Family Centre and a minibus arriving at the centre where women and children climb aboard for their journeys home. Other on the course get into a taxi provided by the centre for those who live outside the area covered by the minibus. In a classroom three women learning maths from tutor Janet Spicer who provides details in the work she does. In another room women taking part in a class on technical drawing with the tutor on this course explaining why it is important and included in the training programme. Kim Young talks about General Studies classes which she runs that look at topics such as women in trade unions, women’s history and women’s health. Sitting of steps outside Del Hughes tutor in Carpentry and Joinery provides details on the foundation course she runs. As she speaks women in a joinery workshop gaining experience in using various types of tools and producing things such as doorframes. As Del provides details on the attributes needed to work in carpentry such as good eyesight, a woman using a ruler and pencil to mark a piece of wood. In another workshop Derena Turner, an Electronic Engineering instructor watches her class of women taking part in a foundation course on basic electronics and electrical components. As she explains that she started out as a trainee on the course, she gives instruction to the women on how to wire an electrical socket. As one woman works to solder a small electrical component Derena provides details on type of qualities she is looking for in her trainees. In a garage at the centre Motor Mechanic Ros Wall showing a group of students the inside of a car engine. As Ros explains some of the work, she does to help build up the knowledge and skills as well as confidence in mechanics, a montage of women at work in the garage doing various mechanical jobs including removing the engine from a car. Outside Ros watches another woman use force to unscrew a bolt from a car wheel, she believes the course give a good foundation for women to work in the trade. Sarah Bartlett, tutor in Painting and Decorating explains what she believes her role in on the course, to give as wide a range of experiences as possible. As she provides details women around the workshop working on various decorating jobs including one woman on a ladder taking instruction from Sarah on painting a wall. Debbie McCulloch, a Plumbing instructor explains that her aim is to provide women with the basic plumbing skills needed for those on the course to either go onto college to get a City in Guilds qualification or help those interested in doing DIY [Do It Yourself]. As she talks about the qualities need to be a plumber a montage of women taking part in basic activities such as bending metal pipes, working at hights and soldering a joint with a blow torch. At North Notts Training Group a woman behind the wheel of an articulated lorry. Standing beside a minivan Driving Instructor Lorraine Hill provides details on the intensive Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driver training she provides. As she talks about some of the skills she teaches, a pair of hands changing a tachograph inside the lorry. Standing outside Lorraine, two other women and a man look through driver manuals changes to one of women reversing an articulated lorry. As Lorraine explains the motivation of those on the course, the woman seen driving now stands on the back of her vehicles attaching signalling cabling from the wagon to the cab. Pat Longman Employment Development officer at the centre arrives at a local business, in voiceover she explains her job in negotiate with local employers to arrange work experience for the women on the scheme. As she provides details on the work she also does to help find employment, she sits at a table speaking with two women about their needs. As a trainee on work experience in a laboratory at a local chemical works, Pat talks about how attitudes amongst potential employers change for the better once they’ve seen the commitment of the women. A woman on the scheme now working on a placement with Sheffield City Council Works Department arrives at a council house to help carry out basic repairs. Inside she works on a plumbing job preparing a metal pipe for installation. Outside sitting on a step, she talks about some of the basic tools needed for the job provided to her by the centre that sit in her work bag beside her on the step. As she talks about the challenges of childcare for others on the course, back inside the house she uses a blow torch to seal the pipe now attached to a wall. Sitting beside a waveform monitor in a laboratory at North Nottingham College of Further Education two women explain how the scheme has given them a second change to get into education. They work together to operate a mechanical arm or robot while talking about why both decided to come onto a full-time course. They go onto talk about what they hope to achieve with one of them hoping to become a professional engineer in design and research. Another woman from the course checks over her load on the back of an articulated lorry. As she climbs into the cab, she talks about getting her Class 1 Heavy Good licence and the type of work she now does as a lorry driver. She explains how the women’s training group helped her gain a lot of confidence and about her hopes for the future. Sitting on a bench in an orchard another woman explains how she found out about the training centre and being on a taster course. As she talks about how the scheme has taught her the skills necessary to build a bungalow, she works to prepare bricks in readiness for building as well as a ditch. She sits on the steps of the centre laughing and chatting with other women. Inside over sandwiches she chats with another woman. The film ends on a montage of other women at the centre talking about what the course has done for them and what they have learned. Title: Nottinghamshire Women’s Training Scheme. Rose Ardron Co-ordinator Kim Young and Sally Laver Outreach / Training Development Pat Longman Employment Development Kath Burgess Centre Administrator Janet Spicer, Kim Young, Rose Ardron Tutors Debbie Parkin Cleaning Lorraine Hill Driving Jenny Andrew, Helen Goldsborough, Pauline Sharpe Child Care Workers Derena Turner, Del Hughes, Lorraine Hill, Sarah Bartlett, Ros Wall, Debbie McCulloch Instructors Thanks to Trainees Past and Present Credit: Mal Finch Writer and Performer of song ‘Women Can Make It Work’ Chrissie Stansfield Camera Christine Bellamy Sound Cath Patton and Jackie Jones VTR Gill Booth, Christine Stansfield, Lynne Colton, Maya Chowdhry Production Lynn Colton Editor Gill Booth Director Title: Produced by Sheffield Film Co-operative Ltd ©. An ACTT franchised workshop funded by C4TV and the British Film Institute for Nottinghamshire Women’s Training Scheme, funded by Nottinghamshire County Council Women Can Make It Work. If you would like to find out more phone Kim or Sally on Worksop 474029 End title: Sheffield Film Co-op