We all assume there are a number of careers that are available to us, and mechanic is not usually one of them. Have a look at Patrice Banks, who says “I couldn’t find a female mechanic, so I became one.”

Patrice posted a poll on facebook in 2011 asking her female friends to name their No 1 knowledge gap, and car maintenance was the number one answer. She searched her entire state for a female mechanic, and couldn’t find a single one.

Over the next 2 years, Banks quit her job as an engineer, retrained as a mechanic and started the Girls Auto clinic, providing workshops on basic car care for women. Patrice is a great example of how girls who think outside the box can create a niche for themselves in any industry if they put their mind to it.

Do you know any Irish women who do jobs traditionally held by men? If so let us know at [email protected] so we can share their stories.