Women are still underrepresented in the trades. 

Despite employing more than 300,000 people, women only make up around 16% of those working in the construction sector.  

Chair of construction firm Naylor Love, Jackie Lloyd is interested in seeing more women enter the industry and play a role in leading it as well.  

Auckland Plumbers Group’s Hera Eruera is one of only fifteen certified female plumbers in New Zealand, and told Kerre Woodham that the sector’s still a bit of an old boys’ club. 

When she first came across Auckland Plumbers Group, Director Andrew Durrans was one of the few people looking to take on a female apprentice. 

“All the other companies that I had gone to, they were just not wanting to have a bar of it,”  Eruera said . 

The stigma of plumbing being a “dirty job” may also be keeping women away from the trade, and while some elements can be, that’s not all they deal with. 

“It’s such a huge variety – you've got your hot water systems, you’ve got all your piping systems, guttering, spouting, roofing. We’ve also got gas fitting, draining.” 

“It's just a huge variety and it’s not always a dirty job like what most people would think it is, and it’s quite enjoyable as well."  

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