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I’m making more money than ever doing a job no woman wants – but blokes ask ‘where is he?’ when I turn up to work
Alice Illidge says her conventionally 'male' career is actually the perfect option for working mums
NOT many young girls dream of being a plumber, but that might change with role models like Alice Illidge paving the way.
The 28-year-old makes up part of the 1% of females in the male-dominated field and thinks more women should get their hands dirty on the tools.
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The single-mum got into the trade 12 years ago after undertaking a general home maintenance apprenticeship programme.
Her mentor at the time encouraged her to specialise in all things pipes and fixtures, despite gender stereotypes painting it as a “male career”.
She went on to earn her qualifications in plumbing and heating engineering, and continued to work for one company until she had her daughter three years ago.
Unfortunately, Alice alleges that her ex-employer “couldn’t accommodate the flexibility she needed” to juggle mum-life with being a plumber.
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So, she took things into her own hands.
The mum-of-one, from Watford, became a sole trader and founded Little Miss Plumbing & Heating, which has also earned her the title of “the local lady plumber”.
The decision means she’s “earning more now than she ever was before” and can balance her workload with being a mum.
According to Checkatrade, qualified and experienced self-employed plumbers with a good reputation can “earn a lot of money”, often in excess of £64,902 per year.
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“I want other women to know that, while plumbing may be a male-dominated industry, there are plenty of opportunities for women,” Alice tells Fabulous.
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“Don’t let the stereotypes put you off pursuing what you’re passionate about.
“So many of my customers are women and older people that appreciate being able to call a female plumber.”
Unfortunately, not all customers are pleasant.
Alice has been asked “where’s the plumber?” and had her skills called into question by some customers.
It lets me spend time with my daughter
Plumber and single-mum Alice
“As a female plumber, I’ve had to deal with a lot of sexist comments,” she says.
“I used to get asked where the plumber was when I turned up for jobs.
“Another challenge I faced was having my daughter and being told the company I worked for couldn’t accommodate the flexibility I needed to look after her while working full-time.”
Since starting Little Miss Plumbing & Heating, Alice has been able to create opportunities for other women to enter the male-dominated field by hiring two female plumbers herself, including an apprentice.
“I love the independence of working for myself,” she says.
“I use to manage my business, so my customers can find me easily and recommend me to friends, which gives me the flexibility to set my own hours and spend more time with my daughter.
“I’m also so thankful that through the support of my community, I have been able to work with other female plumbers, train and inspire other women.”
She adds that “the satisfaction she gets from being able to do the job she enjoys on my own terms is worth its weight in gold”.
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The underrepresentation of women in plumbing in the UK can be attributed to various factors, including gender stereotypes and lack of female role models.
Some women may perceive plumbing as physically demanding or strenuous work, but Alice disagrees that women aren’t physically capable of installing pipes and fixtures.
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