TECHNICAL 35 it ’ s beneficial for everyone involved . Also , there ’ s a massive skill gap in the quality of plumbing with most qualified plumbers being in their 40s , 50s and 60s so we ’ re starting to fall behind with the trade in SA and I think it ’ s a good thing that we ’ re getting youngsters interested in the trade and training them up properly so that we have good quality work in the future done by qualified technicians , as well as having good people join our family now .
David : Agreed , I think it ’ s really essential to have that element of knowledge transfer so that these valuable skills are not lost . Tell me , are there any particularly memorable moments from your plumbing career which stand out for you ?
Pieter : Yes [ laughs ], the most memorable moment in plumbing for me was when we were called out to Consol Glass to examine a blocked drain they had and after a week we couldn ’ t find the source of the blockage and in the middle of the factory there was this manhole so we thought we would just have a look at it . It was one of those thick steel manhole covers – which are very heavy – and I just tapped lightly with a hammer to get it loose and the force of the drain was so powerful that it lifted the manhole lid up into the air and water gushed all over the factory .
David : That must have been a sight to see ! Would you like to add anything regarding the apprentices you ’ ve taken on from Bluelever ?
Pieter : I can definitely say that Blulever is doing a really great job , their apprentices are always well mannered and neat and present themselves very well . They ’ re excited to be there and passionate about the trade , which is really great to see . Also what I think is awesome is that they are with you for three years and they learn how you and your company work and what ’ s expected of them if they end up working for you so once they transition and become a plumber you are almost certainly going to keep them in the company because they have built a relationship with everyone and they are well skilled so it ’ s a win-win for everyone really . Like you said , it helps to bring quality back into the trade again because I think there are a lot of cowboys out there . Overall I would say the Blulever apprentices are really fantastic and we will definitely make use of them again . PA
“ I just think it ’ s awesome to see the ways in which technology makes our work easier .”
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January 2023 Volume 28 I Number 11 www . plumbingafrica . co . za