14 BUSINESS AND TRAINING
Women on Site
Edited by
Tanya Olckers , supplied by BluLever Education
At 29 years old , Nqobile Sibiya is a plumbing apprentice at BluLever Education , part of the Pathfinders cohort , and she ’ s proving that women have what it takes to succeed in trades . Nqobile shares her journey with us in her own words .
All images supplied by BluLever Education
To be honest , I never imagined myself doing plumbing .
Future fixer Nqobile Sibiya .
If you ’ re inspired by Nqobile ’ s journey , visit BluLever ’ s Women on Tools page to learn more about how you can hire an apprentice or support women in the trades . Together , we can build a more inclusive and innovative future .
My journey started while I was pursuing my N6 in civil engineering . A friend of mine , Aneza , who ’ s also a BluLever apprentice , introduced me to the programme . She was preparing for the camp , and I got curious . I asked her to share the link and I thought , " Why not apply for plumbing instead of staying at home ?" Finding internships isn ’ t easy , and I wanted to stay active in the construction world since plumbing falls under civil engineering . I researched plumbing and BluLever , and the more I learned the more I became interested . I applied , went through all the stages , and was selected . I ’ ve always been confident in my ability to work with my hands , so I knew could do it . I believe that there ’ s nothing I can ’ t
Nqobile shows her work ethic and strength . achieve if I set my mind to it .
There were challenges , especially early on . I remember one time during my training at EBL when I had to replace two broken toilet seat covers . Each toilet had a cleaner monitoring it , so I asked a woman cleaner for help finding the broken seat . Instead of helping , she said , " Why are they sending women to fix seat covers instead of men ? You ’ re not strong enough , and that ’ s why the seats get loose and break ."
It broke my heart to hear that from another woman — a mother , no less . It showed me that sometimes , even women look down on other women , which is so wrong . We need to uplift and empower one another , not tear each other down .
At Leano Construction , they treat us equally as students . Everyone gets a chance to do tasks , and if you need assistance , they ’ re there to help . I think BluLever ’ s soft skills training has made a big difference for me . They teach us to see things from different perspectives , to step up and step down when needed , and have a growth mindset . These lessons have helped me stay focused on learning and not worry about proving anything to anyone .
For me , the best part of being a student plumber is knowing I ’ m helping solve real problems . Whether it ’ s fixing a leak or installing a new system , I see the direct impact of my work .
As a woman , I sometimes get surprised reactions from people , but it ’ s mostly been positive . Customers and coworkers appreciate my attention to detail and knowledge . I ’ ve even had young girls come up to me at the airport , saying they ’ re inspired to become plumbers after seeing me work . It ’ s a great feeling to know that we ’ re inspiring the next generation and proving that women can succeed in plumbing .
My employer at Leano Construction once told me they didn ’ t hire women before BluLever , but now they ’ re willing to take more women in the future . That ’ s progress . I ’ m also seeing more companies provide better resources for women , like safety gear designed for our bodies and training programmes that address the challenges women face on-site . These changes show that the industry is moving in the right direction . PA
Nqobile ’ s advice : Never doubt yourself . If you ’ re passionate about something , go for it . Connect with other women in the trade , especially those who are qualified , and learn from them . Don ’ t be afraid to ask for help or clarification . Most importantly , be confident in your abilities . There ’ s nothing you can ’ t do if you put your mind to it .
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline March 2025 Volume 31 I Number 01