During #NationalApprenticehshipWeek last year, we asked plumbers far and wide to nominate an apprentice who they thought deserved a shoutout. Often, the apprentice of the site goes unnoticed, so we wanted to put them centre stage.
This year we are caught up with some of the brilliant installers from our Apprentice Hall of Fame to see where they are now.
Tony Smith
Tony Smith (on the right) was nominated in 2020 by Pollard Plumbing Services for his dedication to his work. Fast forward a year later, Pollard Plumbing Services told us: “Tony is doing really well. We have started to put him out onto a few of his own smaller jobs to increase his responsibility”. Tony is also due to finish is NVQ3 this summer, which will result in him becoming fully gas qualified – go Tony!
We asked Pollard Plumbing Services ‘Why is an apprenticeship is good for a budding plumber?’ and he told us: “You can learn as much as you want from a book or a lecturer about how things ‘should’ be done. However, when you’re put in the real world, that’s when you learn the real lessons.
“The proof of knowledge is being able to confidently apply it when it’s needed, knowing why certain problems occurred and what you can do to stop them in the future is what sets you apart. Working as an apprentice gives you that confidence to trust your knowledge and put it into practice”.
Pollard Plumbing Services also told us that for them, an apprentice is very beneficial as you can mould them into the plumber you want them to be – you have the benefit of hindsight and you can try and prevent them from gaining the bad habits you do.
Bryony Price
In 2020, we also spoke to Bryony Price who nominated three lovely ladies for being part of the new generation of female plumbing apprentices in Jersey. After being a solo female plumber for around 20 years, Briony was beyond proud to see these ladies making their mark.
From left to right we have Taneisha De Gruchy, Lia Whitnell and Hannah Wilcox. We caught up with Briony to see where the girls are now.
She told us: “Lia qualified last summer and continues to work for the same company she trained with, continuing to support the female plumbing community. Taneisha, is now halfway through her apprenticeship and is loving every moment. Whilst Hannah is in the final year of her apprenticeship and is doing really well – she even came first in a national skills competition last year.”
If you’re a budding apprentice or a plumber yourself, we’d love to hear your apprenticeship stories. Head over to our On Tap Facebook Group to join the conversation.
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