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BUSINESS AND TRAINING
going , and so on . It was not an easy thing , I thought he was giving me extra work but it was actually helping me . Now I ’ m doing what I learnt from him , I think he gave me a good lesson and I really applaud his efforts . And that ’ s the general story of how I got into plumbing .
David : I fully believe these things happen for a reason , sometimes the right career will find you .
Diamond : Exactly . I still remember how every Friday they would take us to a technical school . But in those days you were always encouraged to study how to be a teacher , or a doctor , etc and I lacked interest in working with my hands and with tools to make a living , to be honest . Ultimately it did pay off though and that ’ s I how I survive now and it ’ s all that I know in this world after two decades of working in the plumbing industry . It ’ s getting more interesting every year because there are always new things to discover . New laws get introduced , manufacturers occasionally change the specifications of products and I attend seminars and courses to share ideas with others . I don ’ t refer to other plumbing businesses as competitors , we are in the same industry with the shared goal of improving the new guys who are coming up .
David : I fully agree , and that brings me to my next question – what advice would you give to new plumbers just starting out ?
Diamond : I would tell them to apply the same rule taught to me by Mr Posthumus , which is that there are no shortcuts in life – particularly in this industry because we are dealing with water , which can be a deadly thing as well as cause damage to clients ’ properties . You can have a case where you end up being liable for millions in damage , so like I said , no shortcuts . Before you even think of taking your trade test , attain more knowledge and then once you are fully experienced you can easily get your trade qualification . Once you have your trade test done you can easily get work and you can also open your own business – something which everyone wants to do and which I encourage . But don ’ t take shortcuts , get that knowledge and that will give you the confidence you need to do the rest .
And I understand , youngsters want to work from Monday to Friday , but come Saturday or Sunday or holidays they start to drag their feet . Something they don ’ t realise is that you are not only doing this for your company , you are also doing it for your own benefit . It ’ s like driving a car , the more you do it the more competence you will have .
David : That ’ s really good advice . Are there any particular memories you have from your time as a plumber ?
Diamond : Yes , I remember in particular there was a project I worked on at the Bryanston Old Age Home . I was put in charge of the project and we did all the installations there . It was so interesting , I really enjoyed working on that as lead plumber . It was an amazing project , I think we did about 150 units there and it was very memorable for me because whenever I passed by the Home while driving it always put a smile on my face because I was very proud of the work we did there . PA
www . plumbingafrica . co . za February 2023 Volume 28 I Number 12