An apprentice plumber
Nerina McElroy, 41
Apprentice plumber, Guelph, Ont.
How did you get into the plumbing business?
In a roundabout way. After taking courses in robotics and similar subjects, I was working in that field but I wasn't happy. When a friend who owns a plumbing company asked me to help out mostly with paperwork, I leaped at the opportunity. Because of my engineering background, I began to go out on a few calls.
How do customers respond to you?
I've had men laugh when they find out I'm the plumber. "You're just a slip of a girl," they tell me. This is true. I'm five feet four inches tall and I weigh 115 pounds. Women and senior citizens appreciate me because I understand their needs better than any guy could. For example, women like to put cleaning products and garbage cans underneath the sink, but try telling that to a guy who is installing your pipes.
Was there a defining moment when you thought, I can do this?
The first job I ever did on my own was the key. It was a commercial contract, installing backflow preventers on water systems. With my background, I understood what needed to be done and when I realized I could cut into pipes without a disaster occurring, it felt really empowering. I'm in my fourth year as an apprentice right now, and I have just a bit more to do before I become a master plumber. Or mistress plumber, as the case may be.
What is your biggest frustration on the job?
When we're troubleshooting systems, a lot of people won't listen to me because they figure I'm a girl and what do girls know anyway? But I know that if I just do my job well, that's the best evidence that girls know a lot.
What do you love about it?
There's the shock value. You know when you're at a dinner party and, inevitably, someone asks, "What do you do for a living"? I tell them I'll pay them $1,000 if they guess right, but I haven't paid anyone yet. They usually guess "travel agent" or "model." When I tell them the correct answer, they express shock and maybe grudging admiration. But in the end, what I love the most is that it's all about figuring out how to deal with problems while keeping the customer in mind. Once, I went out on a job and a little girl there turned to her mom and said, "When I grow up, I want to be a plumber." I knew right then that what I'm doing has an impact.
