What a brilliant event!
The rain poured down, but the plumbers arrived. We convened at Henry’s cafe across the street and created a bit of interest in the bar staff. As we didn’t know what any of the plumbers looked like it was fun to see the faces of those women that weren’t plumbers as Mica waved my book around and asked the women that came in if they were plumbers.
The first meeting of the Stopcocks community of women plumbers took place on Sunday 12th June in rainy London. It was great to finally meet the women we had been talking to for some time on the phone and by email. These women are really impressive! They came from as far afield as Newbury and Norwich and had studied from Portsmouth to Cambridge. All fitted around their usual jobs, family and children. It was an honour to be with them.
We discussed the issues facing these women who had never met before. Each studying in their own college as the only woman left standing on their courses. We heard stories of unanswered emails, 100 cv’s going out. Ignored phone calls. But mostly, what this event highlighted for me was the lack of clarity around what is required.
These women are being told they can’t go out and be plumbers until they have their NVQ. They can’t get an NVQ until they have a ‘job’. Those jobs do not exist. (Bad enough for male students, female students have it EVEN worse).Then we find the NVQ courses are in fact the same as the technical certificate courses, but cost in some cases £2000 more to cover the assessment fee!
Then there’s the confusion about gas. Can a plumber with a technical certificate become Gas Safe registered?
Watch this space as I try to find out the definitive answers.
Stopcocks is committed to creating the next generation of women plumbers. Despite the height of this mountain in front of us; we will prevail.
More events will be put on the calendar soon. Happy Stopcocks Summer everyone!
