CHENNAI: With her long locks tucked in inside the helmet and sporting a gown and industry-grade safety shoes, 22-year-old G Sowmya from Cuddalore is busy at the place she now calls her second home - her work place, arguably the first all-women construction equipment service centre opened by Schwing Stetter India in Poonamallee on Thursday.
Life was not a bed of roses for Sowmya, for she lost both parents when she was quite young. And, the hectic nature of her previous job at a manufacturing company had taken a toll on her health. She landed at the Poonamalle centre as a technician only after her health improved.
The service centre is staffed by a team of 17 skilled women technicians, most of them aged between 20 and 25. They were imparted three months of theory classes and practical work for the job. They will service and overhaul a diverse range of concrete pumps and mixers, which will range from troubleshooting malfunctions and carrying out preventive maintenance to providing comprehensive machine servicing.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, VG Sakthikumar, Chairman and MD of Schwing Stetter India, said the company has been consciously increasing the inclusion of women in its workforce since 2019. “Moving beyond traditional roles in human resources and accounting, we employed 28% women in our assembly section. In Industry 4.0, physical strength plays a minimal role as most processes are controlled and automated,” he said.
Tamil Nadu was the natural choice to launch the first all-women service centre due to the state’s higher number of women workforce, he said. The 12,000 sq. ft service centre was inaugurated in the presence of Michaela Küchler, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The centre has turned home away from home not just for Sowmya. Meet 34-year-old N Aarthi, a BE degree holder, who is also working as a technician. Married at a young age, she decided to pursue a career only after both her children started schooling. She initially took up a role of a teaching faculty at a college, but she said the job was hectic as it demanded over 12 hours of work.
“The work environment at the centre is very friendly, and that is motivating me to continue the work here,” said Aarthi.