Get hands-on for that plumb job . . .
APPRENTICESHIPS can offer a great way into a career in plumbing.
Harry Taylor, 19, spends four days a week at central London’s Pimlico Plumbers and one day at CK Assessment and Training in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, training to be a plumber.
He is set to gain his full qualification next year and believes that training on the job is the best start on a vocation.
Harry, who previously attended Trinity Catholic High School in Woodford, North-East London, says: ‘I have always been very hands-on and practical, knowing from when I started school that I wanted to learn a trade.
‘There wasn’t much of a drive towards apprenticeships at school.’
He adds: ‘An apprenticeship is definitely the right path for me.
‘I would rather spend my time investing in skills that would set me up for life, while earning and getting hands- on experience.’
As an apprentice, Harry always works alongside an experienced plumber who acts as his mentor. ‘Every day is very different. One day I could be called to an emergency job with a potential flood on my hands and the next day I might be ripping out a kitchen,’ he says.
‘Of course, some plumbing jobs aren’t the most attractive, but you get used to it — it’s all part of the job.’
He advises other young people considering apprenticeships to be ‘flexible and adaptable’.
‘In terms of finding an apprenticeship, don’t give up — it definitely pays off in the end,’ he says. ‘A trade speaks all languages, and you’ll never be without work.’