Shellharbour electrician Lily-Rose McLellan a finalist in 2024 Rotary Inspirational Women's Awards

Shellharbour sparkie Lily-Rose McLellan is lighting up 2024 as a finalist in the Rotary Inspirational Women Awards (RIWA), just months after being named a 2024 NSW Apprentice of the Year finalist.

At 22, she’s breaking barriers in a male-dominated trade as an electrician with BlueScope, while powering her community on and off the field with the Warilla Gorillas ladies league tag team.

Exemplifying service above self through her professional excellence and her community involvement is why she was one of 18 finalists announced in Sydney this month. RIWA winners will be announced on 29 September.

“I finished Year 12, and I wasn’t 100 per cent certain where I wanted that to take me,” Lily-Rose said.

“My family had a lot of personal things going on while I undertook my HSC, so towards the end of Year 12, I decided I didn’t want to go to uni and that it wasn’t for me.”

She said she first contemplated joining the police force, but after realising it wasn’t the right fit, she settled on getting a trade.

“I applied for something ridiculous, like 65 apprenticeships from the Illawarra to the Hunter Valley,” she said.

“Once I decided that’s what I wanted to do, I was pretty set on getting there.”

However, she feels blessed to have ended up at BlueScope, where she is now an inspiration to aspiring tradespeople and women in STEM fields.

“I had known of a few people that were there, and everyone had great things to say,” she said.

“At the same time, I was still living at home, and I’m the oldest of six kids, so it was still important I was close to home.”

Starting as an apprentice and now as a first-year tradie, she has progressed to become a quick response technician in energy services, demonstrating expertise in electrical maintenance, installation, and fault-finding across various voltage systems.

Her commitment to safety and leadership has also made her a valuable mentor to apprentices.

“I love my job as a whole. I think it’s the best thing I ever did,” she said.

“I’ve got a really good crew that I work with.”

She said she had also been given great opportunities to advance through extra training.

“I’m really lucky in the sense that the department I work in, they’re quite happy for me to do any extra upskilling that is available, and they support that,” she said.

“I’ve finished my apprenticeship, and now I’m doing a Cert IV in Electrical Industrial Control, and then I’m doing a second Cert III in Electrical Instrumentation, so I’ll technically be dual trade.

“I’m doing all that as well this year.”

She said despite the limited number of female electricians, she had seen a big push to attract more females and provide more opportunities for them.

“I know, just in my department, we have a female apprentice under us now,” she said.

“Then, within our engineering team and our maintenance team, we have a few females.”

She says she wasn’t treated any differently for being a female, with a great team around her.

“I definitely came into a non-traditional [female] trade, knowing I had to be prepared to take everything with a grain of salt and that it’s not going to be that typical workplace, but they’ve been very accommodating and the company as a whole is very inclusive,” she said.

“For me, personally, I’ve had nothing but good experiences.

“I think I’m very fortunate I now can pass that on to a lot of the younger girls coming through.”

Outside work, she has showcased her community spirit after a full season with the Warilla Gorillas.

“It’s something to do outside of work rather than sitting around on a phone. It’s getting out there, meeting new people and getting a bit of exercise as well.”

Fellow Shellharbour woman Jasmin Wilson was also named a finalist for her dedication to education and community, working full-time in early childhood education and part-time with The Right Way Disability, providing care for clients with disabilities.

As a proud Indigenous woman, she actively contributes to reconciliation efforts, including speaking at the 2023 Illawarra South Coast Reconciliation Conference.

Jasmin overcame personal challenges, including ADHD and POTS diagnoses, to achieve her goals.

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison MP said the awards, presented by the Rotary Clubs of NSW, were for non-Rotary women throughout the state.

Ms Harrison said every finalist deserved recognition for the tireless and generous work they did in their communities.

“They are role models and a true inspiration,” she said.