Women in Plumbing

We've all been hearing about how there is a labor shortage over the last couple of years. This shortage has been attributed to various causes like lack of motivation in the workforce or the requirements needed to perform some of the positions. While these causes may all be contributing to issues that many industries are facing, could it also be because they aren't tapping into some unclaimed potential? Especially in the trades, women are often overlooked when it comes to open positions, even though they might be a solution to the labor shortage.

March is Women's History Month, so it's only fitting that we celebrate the women working in construction by celebrating Women in Construction Week the first full week of March. First held back in 1998, Women in Construction Week, or WIC Week, was created by the National Association of Women in Construction to honor all women working in the construction industry and all the challenges that they have had to overcome. These women are both the ones working out in the field, as well as working behind the scenes in the offices doing all the other job duties needed for companies to be successful. 

Here at Gold Seal, we currently have two female plumbing trainees both at different stages in their careers. One is almost a year into her training program and the other is about to take her state Journeyman's exam. Although we only have a couple of women out in the field, we have so many more working in the office, from the call center to our accounting team to dispatching our residential plumbers. All of our ladies have the opportunity to thrive and grow within the company, leading to great success for them as individuals, as well as for the company.

While we do celebrate all the women who paved their way in the industries, the next generation of strong, smart women is often overlooked compared to their male counterparts. In the article, "Women Breaking Gender Stereotypes in the Plumbing Industry", Plumbing and Mechanical Magazine highlight several companies that actively have female plumbers, as well as how they are trying to recruit and support women who may be hesitant into joining the field. 

Lauren Martin, who owns Seaside Plumbing out of Ocean City, Maryland, talks about how women have the perseverance to be successful in the plumbing industry, even though it is a male-dominated field. "As a woman working in the industry myself, it takes a little more, I guess you could say grit or tenacity and persistence sometimes just to be seen and heard," says Martin. 

Martin, as well as Tosha Everhart, who is the only female plumber at Morgan Miller Plumbing in Grandview, Missouri, both mention how women are the ones who are requesting the plumbing work and are often the ones to be at home when plumbers are there, so having a female plumber tends to ease any discomfort that the homeowner may have. 

As the sales manager for Plumbing Systems Inc., Joi Wilson is knowledgeable in plumbing in a different way from most people. Because she sells plumbing systems and equipment, as well as being mechanically inclined from a young age, Wilson is able to talk about plumbing in a way that women think. Because women can think and process things differently, they are able to problem-solve issues in a way that their fellow male coworkers may not be able to. Because of this, having female plumbers on staff alongside male staff makes for a dynamic duo that can solve almost anything.

Now that we've gone through the various reasons why women can be successful in the plumbing industry from female plumbers who have had success, here are some ways to encourage and support women to pursue what they want to do:

• Talk about all options that young girls can pursue after high school
• Encourage them to go to career fairs and trade shows to learn more about what the trades can offer
• Share the love for women in construction during Women in Construction Week the first full week of March
• If they are looking for an opportunity to learn a lifelong skill, show them opportunities in the trades and encourage them to apply for the positions.

For more information on Women in Construction Week, please go to https://wicweek.org/

To read the full article from Plumbing and Mechanical Magazine: please go to https://digitaledition.pmmag.c...

And finally, if you are interested or know someone who is interested in pursuing a career in the trades, or if you don't know what you want to do, but would like more information about how women can join the ever-growing plumbing trade, reach out to us at marketing@goldsealplumbing.com or check out our Careers page here: https://goldsealplumbing.com/c...