At just 13 years old, Jomarra Finch walked into Australian Trade College North Brisbane (ATCNB), part of the IntoWork Group, and enrolled herself in an electrical trade program despite her mother’s initial resistance. “My mum was like, ‘You’re not doing that,'” she said.
Six years later, that determined young woman has become one of Queensland’s most celebrated young tradespeople, winning the prestigious Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) Tradie of the Year award in 2024.
The award, which recognises outstanding tradespeople who demonstrate exemplary construction skills, commitment to safety, and dedication to mentorship, marks a significant milestone in Jomarra’s rapidly ascending career. But for Jomarra the recognition meant something even deeper, it helped quiet the self-doubt that had lingered despite her professional success.
“I honestly never expected it to be me,” she said. “I doubted myself for a really long time. After receiving that award, it definitely helped settle some of the imposter syndrome. It made me reaffirm that, you know, I am doing a good job.”
Jomarra’s journey into the trades wasn’t a sudden revelation but rather an accumulation of experiences growing up around her fatherand stepfather who both worked in trades. Yet no one in her family tree had pursued electrical work specifically, and certainly no women.
“There was no actual moment that made me think, ‘Yes, I want to do this,'” she said. “When I was 13, I decided I wanted to be an electrician. I walked myself into ATCNB, got enrolment forms, filled them all out, handed them to my mum and said, ‘This is for Year 10. You’re gonna sign all this.'”
What followed was years of persistence in the face of scepticism. “I basically argued with my mum from when I was 13 to the Year 10 cadetship,” Jomarra said. “I just believed that this is what I wanted to do and I just stuck with it.”
In July 2017, Jomarra commenced as an ATCNB student. It wasn’t long before her passion for the trade and positive nature shone through. Her “give-it-a-go” attitude, positive work ethic, and ambition during her initial Year 11 work experience rotations impressed multiple employers, leading her to secure a school-based apprenticeship with ConnectFour Electrical in Semester 2 of Year 11.
Her mother’s doubts gradually transformed into support as she watched her daughter excel in work experience placements and secure the apprenticeship. Today, Jomarra works as an industrial electrician specialising in high-voltage maintenance, exactly where she always envisioned herself.
When asked about the biggest advantage of learning her trade at ATCNB, Jomarra doesn’t hesitate: “The real-life work experience. You get to experience different companies and different types of work. It really pushed me outside of my comfort zone and helped me experience being an adult, being professional.”
The college’s unique structure—combining two days of on-site work experience with three days of academic study—provided Jomarra with invaluable exposure to the electrical industry while still in high school. She took on work placements during school holidays, building the foundation for her successful career.
“The school-based apprenticeships are really accepted at ATCNB, that’s what it’s all about,” she said. “It’d be harder to do something like that at a regular school.”
Beyond her technical skills, Jomarra became a vibrant presence around the college campus. She was known for always assisting fellow students, no matter what they needed – a quality that would later make her an exceptional mentor.
Her natural leadership abilities were recognised in her final year when she was appointed to a student leadership position. In this role, Jomarra truly became an ambassador for both the Trade College and the electrical industry, sharing her passion and experience with younger students considering trades.
After graduating in 2019, Jomarra completed her apprenticeship with ConnectFour, then moved to CV Services Group, where she continued to develop her expertise in industrial electrical work. It was during her time at CV Services Group that she received the CSQ Tradie of the Year award in 2024.
She has since joined J&P Richardson Industries, continuing to specialise in industrial and high-voltage electrical work, “I’m super surprised at how rapidly my career has grown,” she said. “But I think it comes down to how I present myself, my mindset, my attitude, and how I’ve worked on myself—and I’m still working on myself.”
“I’m exactly where I wanted to be,” she said. “When I first got my school-based apprenticeship, I knew I always kind of wanted to end up in this kind of work, but I also thought, ‘When is anyone ever gonna hire a 16-year-old?’ I really just wanted to get my foot in the door.”
One of Jomarra’s proudest achievements is giving back to the next generation of tradespeople. She regularly takes on work experience students, including ATCNB 2025 Student Ambassador Mitch Reid, “I was fortunate to undertake my work experience under the guidance and mentorship of Jomarra,” Mitch said.
“She was really nice. I liked working with her better than all the other tradespeople because she took really good care of me and taught me heaps of stuff. I’m very grateful for that. I didn’t go down that path of electrician, but she definitely helped me a lot during my work experience.”
For Jomarra, the moment was deeply meaningful, “I didn’t even know Mitch was a student leader when I took him for work experience,” she said. “Then I saw him up on stage at his graduation and I thought that was great—I was a student leader, then I took him for work experience, and now he is a student leader. Hopefully something like that can continue, like a full circle moment.”
Jomarra’s mentoring extends beyond individual students. She’s witnessed and contributed to a dramatic shift in the industry’s gender makeup. “When I was in school in 2019, there were only eight girls in my whole grade, and I’m pretty sure I was the only girl in my grade doing a trade,” she said. “Now, going back to the trade college and seeing all the girls in trades, I was so impressed. I’ve seen such a huge increase within the last six years.”
What does it take to thrive in the electrical trade? According to Jomarra, it starts with mindset and attitude, “My attitude towards going to work and my attitude within the community—I like to treat everyone like a friend, and it goes a long way,” she said. “How I see myself and how I see others goes a really long way.”
She also emphasises the importance of confidence, especially for young people entering the industry. “Confidence is key because you’ve got to take it back to the old days—just being around people, talking to people, understanding that rejection is OK. You don’t know until you try. You just have to experience something.”
For Jomarra, understanding that mistakes and learning curves are part of the journey has been crucial. “Anyone can do anything really if they put their mind to it and put in the work,” she said. “Just because you make a mistake or mess up or don’t understand something, that’s OK—it’s human. You’re not just going to be an expert overnight, and understanding that is key.”
For students considering a trade, Jomarra offers straightforward advice: “If that’s something that you believe you really want to do, then I think you should just go for it.”
She particularly encourages young women to explore trades, noting the supportive environment she’s found in the industry. The increase in female participation has created a more inclusive environment than ever before. “Even just seeing girls getting out there and at least trying it out—that’s been really cool to see,” Jomarra said.
Jomarra said the real-life work experience at ATCNB gave her the building blocks to being an adult and being professional, “That was a really big advantage. I hope that students take away that there are so many different avenues you can go down and so many options in electrical that you can do,” she said. “I love teaching apprentices. I was an apprentice not too long ago, so I know how it feels. I’ll explain what I’m doing even for basic tasks, and I hope they take something valuable away from it.”