MET News

Ladies, Form An Orderly Queue
17 August 2010

Ladies are being urged to re-train as plumbers in light of a shortage in the industry. According to a report from the Equal Opportunities Commission, there were only 17 registered female plumbers in 2005. The chief executive of the EOC believes that women have previously been channeled into jobs such as childcare, instead of being made aware of alternative career opportunities. However on a more positive note, many local authorities across the country are trying to attract women into the trades, including plumbing.

According to a new survey from 1st Action plumbing, 57 per cent of Brits want to see more women making their mark in the plumbing industry. Having been a traditionally male-dominated industry, this latest consumer poll proves that people believe that qualified female plumbers are just as capable of doing the job as their male counterparts.

In the case of the elderly and vulnerable, 12 per cent of respondents said they would feel safer and more at ease hiring a female plumber to do the job. One source said, elderly people have been victims of deceit by men in the workplace, so they in particular, would appreciate more female representation within the industry.

We at MET are proud to have several success stories of training female plumbers… Jill had been running her own fashion business when she began her course City & Guilds basic plumbing skills for women. ‘It was becoming too difficult to carry on in the fashion industry.’ Jill told us ‘I was working up to 100 hours a week and just couldn’t afford to compete with the industry in China. I realised I had to find a new career and being dyslexic, it needed to be something practical and plumbing seemed perfect. I found training with MET a very positive experience. I am hoping to go on and gain the full qualification and work full time as a plumber.’ Jill enthuses.

If you would like more information on training for a trade, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We have female course advisors should you prefer, who are more than happy to help, every step of the way.  Ladies, what are you waiting for?