Pam is one of a growing number of women turning to trades traditionally dominated by men. Falling in love with plumbing when working as a labourer at a coal mine in South Australia during her school holidays, Pam knew from that point her life was going to take a different track from many girls her age.
Says Pam….
‘I was on Christmas break from High School and the opportunity came up to make some pocket money labouring in the mine, so I leapt at the chance. I was assigned to a plumber for the duration of my stay and it was there that I came to realise that working with my hands as a tradie was exactly what I wanted to do when I left school.’
Pam’s natural enthusiasm, aptitude and strong work ethic were evident to those she had worked with and as a result she was offered an apprenticeship at the completion of her holidays. If it had been totally up to the young school student, she would have taken up the offer without hesitation. However, following strong resistance from people around her who disapproved of the idea of her entering what was perceived to be a harsh and potentially unrewarding world, Pam’s apprenticeship offer and dream of becoming a plumber were put on hold indefinitely.
It was therefore no real surprise that on leaving high school Pam followed the direction of so many of her peers and entered into a hairdressing apprenticeship. Taking up this career seemed to take Pam even further from the dream that had been birthed during her time at the Coal Mine. The newly apprenticed hairdresser was now required to relocate several hours to the south of her family home to take up her trade, forcing her to leave behind her mum, dad and two brothers.
‘My first year away was so hard. I missed my family terribly. Also, because my first year apprenticeship wages were quite low I couldn’t afford to go out and do much which only exacerbated things for me even further. All in all, I spent my first year feeling very home sick and miserable.’ Yet it was also in this first formative year that Pam believes she did a lot of her growing up and attributes many of the strengths that she has today to what she learned in those first years away from home.
Throughout her three years as an apprentice, Pam continued to nurture her desire to be a plumber and while she graduated as a fully qualified hairdresser and beautician, she still dreamed of doing something more with her life than working within the hairdressing industry. Applying to a group training scheme in South Australia, it was no time at all before she was training with the state’s largest plumbing company.
Several years on, Pam, now philosophical about the wait she endured to finally undertake the career of her choice, feels much stronger and much more aware of the importance of following the dreams she has held for herself.
‘When I was younger, I was really worried about what other people thought and I didn’t want to face their disapproval by doing something that was against their wishes. Now that I am older I can see that ultimately what I want to do for a career has to be my choice and though others may advise me and give me their opinions, the final decision needs to be mine.’
The decision to take up plumbing wasn’t without costs, with a return to study and junior wages robbing Pam of her income earning potential so soon after seemingly securing it. Determined to succeed at her new venture, Pam spent the first year of her plumbing apprenticeship working as a barmaid on the weekends just to make ends meet.
Some people might question the wisdom of making such a move so soon after finding financial independence but, in Jodi’s eyes, it is quite simple. ‘I know that once I am finally qualified as a plumber I will be set up for life. I will always have work and I will always be well paid for what I do. Making a financial sacrifice now to ensure that I am financially secure later makes sense to me.’
As Pam looks ahead, her goal is to one day become a master plumber and ultimately teach her trade to apprentices coming through behind her – especially young women. With less than a handful of females state-wide entering plumbing apprenticeships each year in South Australia, Jodi is keen to persuade other females to follow her
example. ‘I really encourage women to overcome their fears and give apprenticeships a chance. They won’t regret it.’
Looking back across the two years that she has spent so far in the industry, Pam believes that young women entering the building industry need to be reasonably self-confident, be comfortable around men and have a maturity and resilience to brush off the type of humour and teasing that can be rife on building sites – particularly towards apprentices.
However, Pam is also adamant that the industry is not as rough and ready as some people might think it is. ‘Maybe 20 or 30 years ago the building trade was a lot less welcoming and an unsafe place for women to be in. These days we have good working conditions and the guys are well informed about workplace health and safety, anti-discrimination and sexual harassment legislation.’
A strong advocate for women in trades, Pam is excited by the possibility of more women entering careers like hers. ‘There seems to be a lot more guys doing girl jobs and girls doing guy jobs – one day there will be no differentiation between what we can and can’t do.’
Personal Motto:
‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’
Pam’s advice to others:
‘I had always enjoyed working with my hands but had never considered plumbing as a career. When I started work experience as a plumber at the Coal Mines, there was no hint that I might quickly grow to love the trade and want to take it on as an apprenticeship.
I recommend that everyone should do work experience before making any decisions about careers. Experiment with all sorts of different jobs. You might be surprised with what you might grow to love too.’
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