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From the frontline - electrical qualifying surveyor Dave Watson
Dave Watson, electrical qualifying surveyor and apprentice mentor at Sovereign, talks about work-life balance and the scar on his bum cheek
Tell us about your job.
I’ve been a sparky since I left school and I have just moved into my first supervisor role. I look after electrical compliance certification. I always tell my team: “A plumbing fault you can see, gas you can smell but electricity is invisible so we have to be doubly careful.” I stress over and over again to new recruits that we need to make sure the certificates are done properly, otherwise our residents’ lives are in danger.
How did you get into housing?
I came to Sovereign when I was looking for a better work-life balance. The last job I did before moving into housing was wiring an aircraft hangar ready for the big fighter jets, but it was early starts and late finishes so I felt like I was missing out on family life.
What is the best part of your job?
Being a mentor is something I really enjoy. It comes naturally to me to teach people, and I firmly believe that an apprentice does not learn best by watching. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the mentor is the one who should be watching.
I’ll talk apprentices through a task step by step as they do it a couple of times, then let them have a go on their own. If they mess it up, I’m there to fix it.
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What is the worst part?
As a tradesperson I go out to a lot of different houses. It’s fascinating to see how other people live. However, one resident was a keen spider collector with hundreds of creepy-crawlies in his house. I was just there to change a light switch and he was trying to show me his collection. I was not keen.
What would you change about the housing sector?
There’s quite a lot of talk about building new houses, but I do think that we need to continue to invest in our existing stock, keeping it up to scratch.
I’ve learned that it’s part of my job to let people get their feelings off their chests, especially if they are worried about something to do with their home. When I go out to residents’ properties, we’re not just fixing the house – we’re helping them feel better. Where someone lives affects how they feel inside.
If you could be prime minister for the day, what would you do?
Sack the lot of them! I swear, my mates could do a better job. Most of them are so far removed from real life, they have no idea what people are dealing with.
What’s the most private thing you’d admit to your colleagues?
I have a scar on my bum cheek where I once got shot by a farmer with a pellet gun for stealing his carrots!
