Earn and learn with satisfaction on tap
TRAINING as a plumber seemed the right step to take when Kayleigh Morris decided she wanted to learn a trade while she was at college.
So the 19-year- old now divides her time between Pimlico Plumbers and Lambeth College in Clapham, South London.
She began her apprenticeship after meeting managing director Charlie Mullins, who attended her previous college to open a new building centre.
‘I wanted to earn while learning, and a trade will always be in demand. I’ve always been practical, so when I decided on plumbing, I researched my options and an apprenticeship was by far the best route.
‘ In my trade it’s much more beneficial to be learning on the job from experts in the industry. And there’s no student debt.’ Kayleigh, from Hackney, East London, who will complete her level 2 apprenticeship in April, adds: ‘I work closely with my mentor each day, leaving home around 8am and getting back at 6pm. I work at Pimlico Plumbers four days a week, attending college one day a week.
‘There’s never any day the same, with Pimlico Plumbers being 24/7 and having a one-hour emergency response — it really could be anything. But that’s what I enjoy because it’s always a challenge. ‘The best bit is most certainly seeing the real satisfaction of our customers when you have completed a job. As well as learning directly from my mentor, this is the best way to go about it and we all get on really well in the team.’ Kayleigh says she has always had a good reaction from customers. She explains: ‘They like to see a girl breaking the norm. I love being a plumber, and I’m proud that I had the confidence to go for it, as I knew it was right for me. ‘I’ve secured a great career in a great company and the skills I’ve learned will always keep me in work in the future.’ She adds: ‘My advice to anyone considering an apprenticeship is to do all of your research and go for it. Especially with a trade, there truly is no better way to get into it and you’ll have a job for life. ‘At school there’s always an attitude that manual trades are for boys, but I’m proving that’s not the case — and there’s so much positivity from customers.’