Women Urged to Take Plumbing Courses

More women should enrol on plumbing courses in order to meet the growing demand for female plumbers.

A report by the Equal Opportunities Commission found that 12 per cent of people would prefer more women in the plumbing and heating industry as they would feel safer and more at ease hiring a female plumber.

More plumbing firms are looking to employ women as elderly people and certain religious groups feel more comfortable with female tradesmen such as plumbers and electricians entering their homes.

Furthermore, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills reported that encouraging more women to enter the workplace could add £23 billion to the British economy and help the nation's recovery from the recession.

The boss of Pimlico Plumbers is one employer who would be happy to hire more women who have completed plumbing courses.

Charlie Mullins said that a growing number of women workers would boost the image of the plumbing and heating industry and please householders.

He told the Telegraph: "We could take on 20 women tomorrow because there is such a demand for them. Customers feel comfortable and secure with them, they can relate to them.

"And a lot of our customers are quite delighted that a lady is there doing the equal job of a man. It's a massive plus for the industry.''

There are no restrictions on the number of women allowed to take City & Guilds plumbing courses and the organisation is actively encouraging more women to enrol and achieve their qualifications.

Chris Jones, CEO and director general of City & Guilds, is trying to inspire everyone to take vocational courses as practical skills are increasingly valuable in the current job market.

He said: "We believe it's all about unleashing talent, helping people recognise their skills, reach their full potential and take pride in their work. It doesn't matter what experience or qualifications you have, there's a course for you."

All potential plumbers must take an approved and accredited sequence of NVQ plumbing courses in order to become fully qualified.

This means commencing plumbing training on the City & Guilds NVQ 6129 level 2 plumbing course which will allow learners to progress onto NVQ level 3.

Wannabe plumbers looking to learn with private training providers have been advised not to take crash plumbing courses in order to become qualified as the process can take a number of years.

Learners should research training centres before spending significant money on the appropriate plumbing courses.