From History Grad to Plumber: an unexpected career shift into the trades

When Catherine left her job in the startup world following her degree in History, she never imagined she’d end up fixing urinals and fitting radiators.

Yet today, she’s a qualified plumber, trained heat pump plumber, and an active part of the growing TaskHer network of tradeswomen.

Her story speaks to the very reason We Build Too exists.

"I wanted a profession where I could always have work and where I wouldn't have to be at the mercy of a company salary ceiling and management changes."

After a decade supporting tech entrepreneurs and startups, Catherine retrained during a looming recession. She took a five-day taster course in plumbing and was hooked. From there, she found a local evening college course and fit her studies around a temp job. After gaining her diploma in nine months, she’d landed a job with Thames Water, then Octopus Energy, who trained her up in low-carbon heating technologies like heat pumps.

Now, she juggles her time between her job at Octopus, self-employed plumbing work and supporting others trying to enter the trades, especially women.

The gender gap is real, but fixable

Catherine’s route into plumbing was smoother than most, but she’s under no illusion that it’s easy.

"There’s often a confidence issue with women. I know women who have gained their plumbing diploma but are still nervous about going into the field to work as a plumber. It can be very daunting for some.”

She was one of only two women in her training class, and the other dropped out before finishing. She’s experienced firsthand how many women want to enter the trades but are put off by the male-dominated training environment and the perception that they won’t be taken seriously.

“It’s totally understandable that many teenage girls don’t want to be the only female in their class amongst boys. They’re far more likely to join a trade course at college if they can see other girls taking part. I’d love to see trade colleges encouraging more girls into the industry by going into schools and showing girls how rewarding these careers can be!”

The reality of her own experience with men in the industry has been, on the whole, positive. 

“Men have been my biggest champions. They don't treat me any differently from their male peers. I’ve had a great experience, and I hope that my testimony can encourage other women to step out of their comfort zone and take the plunge. The great thing about working on site is the camaraderie of working in a team - there’s no competitiveness, just lots of tea and silly chats.”

She highlights the gap between qualifying and finding paid work as another stumbling block. Smaller companies often can’t afford to train up new talent. And while larger firms might have the infrastructure, they struggle to reach the women who do want to join.

A network that works

One thing that’s helped Catherine thrive? The TaskHer WhatsApp group.

“If I’ve got a problem, whether it’s a confidence issue or an actual practical problem with plumbing, I can post in there and they’ll all give me support and give me tips on how to deal with it.”

That safe, peer-led space is exactly what We Build Too aims to replicate and expand, offering not just visibility and opportunity but also long-term community.

What we learned from Catherine

Here’s what stood out from our conversation with Catherine, and what we’re keeping front and centre as We Build Too evolves:

• Retraining later in life works, and those who do bring powerful skills with them: communication, problem solving, professionalism.

• Confidence and visibility are key. Role models matter. So do supportive environments.

• The market is ready. Demand for tradeswomen is high, we just need to grow the supply.

• Peer networks are gold. Women need safe, supportive places to ask questions, get feedback, and celebrate wins.

As Catherine put it:

“There’s a demand, like 100%. There’s a demand. It’s just that we need more female tradespeople. That’s where the issue lies.”

We couldn’t agree more.