| By :
Martin Hofschroer
A mother of two has revealed that becoming a plumber was one of the best decisions of her life. Jo Lawrence, a divorcee from Hertfordshire, told the Daily Mail's Femail supplement that joining the plumbing industry has brought her personal happiness and career satisfaction. Ms Lawrence, 38, began to think about plumbing courses after her two children started school and she needed to find work in order to support her family. She realised that she was ideally suited to a practical profession but was unsure of her prospects after becoming dissatisfied when training in occupational therapy. The epiphany came when a friend was so impressed after Ms Lawrence fixed her toilet that she told her to start researching plumbing courses in order to pursue a fulfilling career. "She suggested I become a plumber. It felt like divine intervention, I knew that's where my future lay," she told Femail. After looking at plumbing courses, Ms Lawrence went on to complete a City & Guilds technical certificate in 2002, which gave her the ability to do everything on the hot and water supply, up to and including the instillation of bathrooms. Ms Lawrence then decided to start her own business during an apprenticeship for a building firm, which she did in order to carry on with her NVQ. Ms Lawrence established Pink Plumbers and has continued to enjoy great success in the industry. Helping people is a great source of job satisfaction, according to Ms Lawrence. She told Femail: "I love being a plumber, because I enjoy working with people. There's nothing better than resolving someone's problems. I feel lucky to be so happy in my career." Ms Lawrence also said that the plumbing courses she completed gave her the self-assurance and ability to deal with all the problems that have come her way. "Over the years, I've built up my confidence and skills to the point that it's now rare that I can't cope with a job," she told Femail. Ms Lawrence revealed that being a female plumber has a number of advantages such as customers feel that she is more trustworthy. "I also had a guy who didn't hire a male plumber because he was embarrassed to show another bloke he couldn't do the job," she told Femail. The Equal Opportunities Commission has encouraged more women to complete plumbing courses in order to combat skills shortages and the under-representation of women in the industry.
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