Up-and-coming female plumbers and electricians are being encouraged to put their skills to the test to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The fifth annual ESG & Friends All-Female Plumbing & Electrical Competition takes place at Oakland College in St Albans on Friday March 7.
The event will see up to 10 women going head-to-head in the plumbing skills challenge, which will include a strong press-fit element. A press-fit masterclass is delivered by Geberit and the Chartered Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering (CIPHE) prior to the challenge.
Leading heating, plumbing and air movement materials supplier TG Lynes is again backing the competition by supplying more than £1,000 worth of materials.
Bob Noseda, Sector Skills Advisor at organisers ESG, said: “This competition is now in its fifth year and TG Lynes has been a sponsor since day one. It’s a fantastic partnership that we truly value.
“A recent report found that the number of women in construction roles has declined in the last year. This is such a shame as a lot of hard work has been done over the last decade to make the industry more inclusive.
“This competition seeks to shine a light on some of the talented women in the plumbing and electrical trades. For the plumbing side of things, the women will be given an hour-long masterclass from the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating in press-fit installation before being given five hours to complete the challenge.
“It’s fun and educational as the competitors will learn new skills they can take forward in their careers.”
This year’s winner will scoop a gas analyser, worth in the region of £400.
The 2024 champion, Daisy Turner of Barking & Dagenham College, went on to win two national plumbing competitions.
Andrew Ingram, Managing Director of TG Lynes, said: “We are delighted to again support this great competition. TG Lynes has been in existence for more than 110 years and we are passionate about the heating, plumbing and air movement industry.
“It’s vital that we continue to see new people entering the sector to address the skills shortage and it would be brilliant if more women would consider it as a career.
“This event proves that there are some very talented women out there who are developing their plumbing skills.”
Anyone wanting to take part can enter Oaklands College from 8.30am on March 7, or email [email protected] for more information.
TG Lynes stocks industry leading brands and supplies thousands of products including valves, steel and copper tubes and fittings, press systems, composite and plastic plumbing, drainage solutions and support systems and tooling. An extensive plant hire service is also available.
