DIY shows off young mum's talent for the painting and decorating trade
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A SINGLE mother who found her flair after turning her hand to a spot of home decorating has won an industry award for her painting and wallpapering.
Emma MacKenzie was doing up her flat when she realised she had a knack for the trade.
And now, the 23-year-old from Inverness is working for a painting and decorating firm while holding down an apprenticeship at Inverness College UHI and single-handedly raising her five-year-old daughter Lana.
“It’s been a long journey,” she said. “And there are days when she doesn’t want to go to nursery and I don’t want to go to work but she knows that I’m trying to do right for her.”
Emma was in for a shock when, at 17, she discovered she was pregnant.
She said: “I felt OK at the time but looking back on it I realise I felt like I was secluded, I just felt lonely all the time.
“In a nutshell, that’s how it felt, being so young with a baby.”
The former Millburn Academy pupil landed a hospital cleaning job through Barnardo’s after making links with the children’s charity at a baby group for young mums.
But she soon became disheartened.
“It suited me at first because I needed a job I didn’t have to take home with me,” she said.
“But as time went on I was just miserable. I knew it wasn’t for me. It wasn’t what I wanted to do but I wasn’t sure what I could do and I found it a bit depressing.”
Emma kept herself busy at home, painting her flat, up-cycling bits of old unwanted furniture.
She said: “I painted a couple of rooms myself. It wasn’t that good but I still enjoyed it and then I got a few old pieces of furniture and I up-cycled them for my daughter’s room. It turned out good and I really enjoyed it.
“That’s when I thought ‘right, I really would like to get better at this’.”
And when the college prospectus landed on her doormat, she decided to act.
“I’d seen my course when I was pregnant and I thought about it then but I put it to the back of my mind. But every time I looked at the prospectus it was the only thing that jumped out at me. I decided to go for it.”
In 2015, Emma began a part-time introductory course for a national progression award (NPA) at Inverness College.
She spent the remainder of the week in work experience placements with New Start Highland, learning up-cycling, recycling and painting.
“Combining my college training with work experience meant I could apply for jobs,” she said.
“I got a role with Nodram Decorators in Inverness and now I’m in the first year of my apprenticeship at Inverness College.
“I never thought it would be possible for me to earn and learn at the same time, and do something that I really love.
“I’m very lucky to have a supportive mum, who looks after my little girl while I’m working and I have a childminder.
“I’ve learned loads more about myself and the skills I’m capable of. I started off thinking that up-cycling was my favourite thing but now I think its wallpapering.
“It’s such a challenge, you have to have patience.”
And Emma clearly knows her trade, having won first place as a new entrant in the painting and decorating competition at the SkillBuild 2017 regional heat, organised by Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
And, all going well, she could even make it into the national finals and go on to represent the UK in international skills competitions.
Emma will qualify from college in 2019 and is toying with the idea of studying for a degree in construction management or starting up on her own.
“The thought of running my own up-cycling-based business and having clients interested in interior design is very exciting,” she said.
Emma, who won student of the year award in her NPA class last year, wants to share her experience to show other young women that becoming a single parent at a young age doesn’t spell an end to career ambitions.
“At first, getting a job was about securing a better future for my daughter. Now, it’s actually about me too. Working in the construction industry has allowed me to make a success of myself. I’m looking forward to the future.”
* Interested in a career in construction? Emma’s apprenticeship is funded by CITB. Visit www.goconstruct.org to find out more.
