Women in Hydraulink: Lisa Wise relishes problem-solving job

A woman grasping her hydraulics career with both hands (literally), is enjoying the problem-solving nature of a job where no two days are the same.

Lisa Wise is a Hydraulic Sales and Service Technician (HSST) based on the Gold Coast, part of the national Hydraulink hydraulic hose and service network, which includes 13 company-owned sites in Australia, 135 network partners, and 150 service vehicles offering 24/7 onsite and mobile services.

Hydraulink Gold Coast services industries including earthmoving, civil contracting, trucking and transport, and a broad range of industrial companies with machinery powered by hydraulics.

“Customers value that we’re friendly, fast, and solutions-focused, so we can get their machinery back up and running again,” says Lisa.

“For some customers, machinery downtime means they aren’t earning money for that period, so they really appreciate that we do everything we can to solve their hydraulics problems quickly, and with uniform standards of quality and safety,” she adds.

Lisa’s job includes working on machinery and trucks, as well as making hydraulic hoses to customer specifications, and resealing hydraulic cylinders.

“I love this role because no two days are the same. We have to think quickly, get our hands dirty, and come up with new solutions. You never get bored!” she says.

Supportive atmosphere

In the lead up to International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, Lisa reflects on working in the hydraulics industry, which is one that typically attracts more men than women to join the profession each year.

“For any woman that’s mechanically minded, likes working with machinery, and enjoys problem solving, I’d encourage them to give it a go,” she says.

This year’s IWD theme is “inspire inclusion,” so Lisa hopes to inspire others and continue to foster the supportive environment she has experienced since joining Hydraulink.

“I hope my story inspires other women to join male-dominated industries. I have two primary school aged daughters who are my biggest inspiration. They keep me focused on working hard to achieve my goals. They love that Mum’s job is more of ‘a boy’s job’ and I try to encourage and inspire them every day to believe they can do anything they want when they grow up,” she says.

“Hydraulink Gold Coast has given me outstanding support, and are actively encouraging me to grow my skills and career. It’s this sort of environment where you can flourish.”

The owners of the Hydraulink Gold Coast franchise, Tim and Katrina Phillips, supported Lisa in going to TAFE once a week, and she’s now in her second year of an apprenticeship, to further advance her skills.

Hydraulink Gold Coast also sent Lisa to the Hydraulink Academy for a training course to develop all the skills required to be an HSST.

“It was a welcoming introduction when I first joined Hydraulink Gold Coast. Instead of requiring me to have certain skills in advance, they saw I had mechanical aptitude and a desire to learn, so they sent me on a training course to give me all the skills I needed to be an HSST and start working on customer jobs,” she said.