As one of our newest LEIA board members, Karis Walker tells us about her route into the industry, her aims for the board, and how we can attract a diverse range of professionals for the future.
What prompted you to get involved with the LEIA board?
I have been a member [current Chairman] of the LEIA Contracts and Legal Committee for around eight years now, so it felt like a natural next step. I believe in the work that LEIA does to support the lift and escalator industry and have seen and benefitted from all the hard work that goes on both in the committees and behind the scenes. It has been great to be able to meet with like-minded industry colleagues, discuss the challenges relevant to our areas of expertise and explore ways in which we can help the membership, whether through legal tips, seminars or by responding to more specific queries. Joining the board represents an extension of this opportunity to give back and I’m really looking forward to being involved.
Why is it important to support the work of LEIA?
All members benefit from the membership, whether this is from the LEIA Contract Guarantee – a leading and groundbreaking facility to members, or through the committee advice, discussion and seminars. Without the involvement, active participation, and feedback of the membership, the committees would lack clear guidance on how best to support members, which industrywide challenges to tackle, and the substantiation with which to feedback to and engage with legislative change and activity. A lot of the hard work from LEIA happens behind the scenes and without membership support, the facilities that are available just would not be possible. The membership is really at the heart of what LEIA does, so it is so important that we equip the team there to take action and lobby for the change, that is needed.
What do you hope to achieve as a board member?
I hope to broaden the understanding and perception of the value that LEIA brings to the industry. The committees do some fantastic work, and it would be great to increase the diversity and bring more variety of experience to them. I believe that would, in turn, broaden the output even further. I would also love to work with LEIA to promote the industry itself, develop interest, bring in new colleagues, and support with future-proofing and ongoing development of the sector.
Can you talk us through your pathway into the lift industry? Tell us about your career to date?
I started my career via an apprenticeship in aerospace. It offered a great opportunity to both learn and study, gaining experience through all aspects of what was an interesting and exciting global business. It was such an enjoyable and eye-opening experience, which has led me to be a huge advocate for apprenticeships ever since. I left with a clear passion for commercial, but I actually entered the lift industry through finance, supporting debt recovery through contract enforcement and supporting the business with controlling and improving commercial practices. It was being given that opportunity to expand on my role, that led me to the area in which I specialise now. I have been fortunate enough to benefit from some great mentorship throughout my career, with business leaders who were keen to support and develop colleagues, giving them the trust to own and develop through their roles. With TK Elevator, I have been given some great opportunities through different areas of the business, to build on my skills, learn some lessons, and develop my business and industry knowledge.
How can we attract a diverse range of talent to the industry?
I think the only way you can really attract people is to hold their attention. By making the long-term development opportunities and the exciting and consistent technological evolution of the industry more apparent, people will hopefully recognise the longevity of a potential career beyond that initial interest at a careers fair or advertisement. We need to encourage individuals to see that there are long term career prospects in an exciting array of specialisms. I believe the general perception of our industry is quite narrow in this regard, so if we could get more members to share their industry experiences, more organisations to share their exciting technological advancements and what goes into these from an individual colleague perspective, I believe this would connect more with the next generation and help foster that long-term interest. The industry has and still faces a lot of challenges, but there are also a great many positives. Lifts and escalators will always form a part of our day to day, they will always be needed and so will the people that make that happen.
TK Elevator Apprenticeships:
TK Elevator are committed to creating an environment where future generations want to work and are therefore actively recruiting apprentices across the organisation. Apprenticeships offer a great balance to theoretical learning and on the job training, working alongside highly skilled colleagues.
Current apprenticeship vacancies in the industry can be found via the LEIA Lift Careers site: liftcareers.co.uk