Is Training to be a Plumber Harder for Women?

Training to be a plumber is not plain sailing for any student but, for many women training to be a plumber, sexual harassment in the workplace makes gaining skills and experience even harder. The recent story of Sheona Keith who spent 3 years training to be a plumber only to experience sexual harassment, contempt and redundancy is a worrying example.

After training to be a plumber for 3 years, Sheona Keith found that she was the victim of sexism and even sexual harassment in her day-to-day work as a fully qualified plumber. After months of this sort of treatment Keith was made redundant. The depression and anger that this situation caused resulted in Keith committing actual bodily harm when she found herself, once again, the victim of unwanted sexual attention in a nightclub.

According to the judge:  “You [Sheona Keith] worked hard but your chosen line of work took you into a completely male dominated environment and one where I am afraid you had to put up with sexist comments and harassment which there is no excuse for.”

"This forms the background of why you lost your job and in the end resulted in all this. You went to a night club even though you normally don't drink and don't go out.”

The fact that law-abiding, talented women who have gone through rigorous training to be a plumber are made to feel unsafe and driven to desperate acts due to the behaviour of clients is a sad truth for the plumbing industry, and a problem that the plumbing community need to confront.

Access Training believe that everyone has the right to a shining plumbing career after completing training to be a plumber – a career which is based purely on merit, not gender. We provide fully accredited training to be a plumber which allows students to become the very best they can be. For more information  about receiving top-notch training to be a plumber in a supportive and inspiring environment, speak to our team today on 0800 345 7492.