Wairarapa business owner Sarah Summers and apprentice Rawinia (Winnie) Preston are proving that the future of plumbing is female.
Sarah Summers, Director and co-owner of Waterwise Wairarapa with her husband Rob, had long hoped to bring a female apprentice into the business.
“Being a woman in the plumbing industry, you realise there aren’t many female plumbers,” says Sarah. “I strongly believe anyone can do the job. It shouldn’t be seen as a male-oriented skill.”
For Sarah, this belief extends beyond proving that women can do the work – it’s also about recognising the value they bring to the trades, and challenging old stereotypes to make way for more women to follow.
A chance encounter with Winnie helped her achieve that goal – and opened the door for Winnie to turn her newfound interest in plumbing into a reality. Winnie’s journey started while working in administration for another local plumbing company.
“I thought if I learned a bit more, it would help me in my admin role,” Winnie recalls. “I started spending one day a week on the tools and I just really enjoyed it.”
Now in her third year as an apprentice plumber, gasfitter and drainlayer (PGD) with Waterwise Wairarapa, Winnie is training through EarnLearn and thriving in a team of 12 plumbers, including six apprentices at different stages of their training.
Both agree that having the right support has made a huge difference along the way. “The support we get from EarnLearn is brilliant,” says Sarah. “Our Account Manager, Donna, always has time to take calls from our apprentices. She’s regularly in our office for site meetings and keeps everyone up to date. The information is clear, and she makes everything easy.”
Sarah’s final word to other employers thinking about bringing more diversity into their workforce is simple: “Women bring a different perspective to the workplace and to the industry,” she says. “It’s good for business, good for culture, and great for the next generation to see that these opportunities are open to everyone.”
Across the industry, there’s growing recognition of the opportunity to build stronger female representation in the trades – not just by encouraging more women to enter, but by creating pathways for mentorship and leadership within the workforce. Collaboration between businesses, and support from training providers like EarnLearn, play an important role in this.
EarnLearn’s nationally recognised, NZQA-approved trades training programmes provide structured training that sets apprentices up for long-term success. By combining on-the-job learning with dedicated support from Account Managers and access to specialist resources,
EarnLearn helps apprentices gain the skills, confidence and qualifications to succeed – while helping employers build capability and a more diverse, future-ready workforce.
As more women like Winnie take up the tools, and with business owners like Sarah and Rob leading the way, they’re setting a clear path for others to follow. With the right training, mentoring and support, the next generation of female tradespeople will help shape a stronger, more inclusive industry for years to come.
