Competition gives women chance to launch plumbing career

TG Lynes is celebrating International Women’s Day by launching its Plumbing HERoes campaign for a second year.

The winner will secure a place on a City & Guilds NVQ Level 2 Domestic Plumbing & Heating course, courtesy of leading training provider Choice Training, worth more than £3,000.

The Level 2 qualification is required to obtain a Plumbing JIB Card, which demonstrates proficiency.

The winner will also receive hundreds of pounds of tools from TG Lynes to kick-start their career in the trade. TG Lynes is keen to encourage more women to consider a career in plumbing as less than three per cent of people in the trade are female.

Ashleigh Stent, the winner of Plumbing HERoes 2024, has enjoyed getting to grips with hot and cold water systems, central heating systems, sanitation systems and gas safety and has taken her first exams.

Ashleigh opted for a Level 3 qualification as she had already secured the Level 2.

The 26-year-old from Buckinghamshire said: “Winning Plumbing HERoes was a huge moment for me. I had tried a variety of trades as a labourer and plumbing interested me most. I had previously completed a diploma in plumbing, so to be able to take it a step further with a Level 3 qualification was fantastic. It has been a really enjoyable year with Choice Training and my knowledge has increased dramatically."

This year’s winner will be able to undertake the training flexibly both online and in-person at Choice Training’s base in Dagenham.

Andrew Ingram, Director at TG Lynes, said: “We’re delighted to partner with our friends at Choice Training again to announce the return of Plumbing HERoes after the success of last year. I caught up with Ashleigh recently and it was fantastic to see how the training course had boosted both her skills and confidence. The industry is heavily dominated by men but we believe there are many women who could enjoy a successful career within it. We want to encourage more women to consider it as an option, particularly at a time when there is such a severe skills shortage. I look forward to reviewing the entries and making one person’s dreams come true.”