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
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.
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.
“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.
“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.