Sandra Entermann, member of Ipswich Seventh-day Adventist Church and well known in the Adventist community for her singing voice, has become the first female in the world to earn certification as a certified glazier in her trade.
Ms Entermann is a glazier at Greg’s Glass and Glazier in West Ipswich where she custom cuts glass in between managing the office. She has just earned her formal qualification as a certified glazier via the Australian Glass and Glazing Association’s Master Glazier Program. Within 12 months she will have earned her next qualification as a master glazier, which will be another world-first, confirmed by the Australian Glass and Glazing Association which works closely with other countries.
“It’s a trade where you can still be feminine yet enjoy getting your hands dirty to an extent,” said Ms Entermann. “It’s such a non-traditional trade for women but I never set out to prove a point (as a woman), I just love the work. It’s always different.”
Ms Entermann never intended to become a tradie—she always planned to study teaching but 10 days into her university course decided to take a gap year.
That was 24 years ago.
In 1993, at 18-years-old, Ms Entermann began working for her brother Gary, who owns Greg’s Glass. She quickly realised the value of being able to cut glass for customers without having to call in a glazier and began learning on the job. It took just two years to finish her apprenticeship—when she finally started one—with a few more hurdles afterwards to earn the title of Certified Glazier, making her the first woman in Australia to do so. But with Australia leading the world in its initiatives to grow the glazier’s trade, this means Ms Entermann has also become the first woman in the world to be made a certified glazier.
“Being a glazier, it’s not like other industries,” said Ms Entermann. “People will always need glaziers so there is longevity in it too. I would definitely encourage other women to take it up. If you can run a small business and do the practical side too, you become a major asset as an employee.”
Next week Ms Entermann will be presented with a certificate recognising her achievement by Australian Glass and Glazing Association, the industry’s peak body, which labelled her achievement as “a big step for the trade”.
