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    TAFE NSW Coffs Harbour |21 July 2025

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    Nicole plunges into an unlikely plumbing career

    “You do get funny reactions sometimes when you knock on a customer’s door and they see you’re female.”

    Nicole Howarth

    TAFE NSW has helped a Coffs Harbour mum make a radical career pivot, ditching the corporate world to take on a plumbing apprenticeship.

    Nicole Howarth, 32, had forged a career in office administration, most recently with her brother-in-law’s business Joel Street Plumbing & Gas Fitting. But then, a chance opportunity in late December 2019 prompted her to take a dramatic professional detour.

    “I’d only recently started in the office with the business, and I still didn’t have enough holidays accrued to take me through the Christmas break,” Ms Howarth said.

    Nicole Howarth stands next to a work ute with a ladder on top, wearing a black hoodie and work boots. Trees and houses line the quiet street behind her.

    “My boss invited me to be an offsider on a plumbing job and I just fell in love with it. I loved the problem-solving aspect, being outside, the variety of the job, and the satisfaction of seeing the end result. You also get to work with all other trades so you’re building a vast knowledge of how things work.”

    Ms Howarth entered an apprenticeship in 2020 and last year completed a Certificate III in Plumbing at TAFE NSW Coffs Harbour, making her a qualified plumber.

    A growing skills shortage is increasing wages and job security for plumbers, according to Master Plumbers Australia, who say attracting more women to the trade is critical to closing the skills gap. 

    Data from Jobs and Skills Australia reveals only 1 per cent of the nation’s plumbers are female.

    “You do get funny reactions sometimes when you knock on a customer’s door and they see you’re female,” Ms Howarth said. “But the vast majority are really supportive and I’m proud to be a trailblazer for women in the industry.

    “We can do the work and we offer good communication skills. A lot of female clients like having another woman on site to relate to as well.”

    She said her TAFE NSW Coffs Harbour training armed her with the practical skills and knowledge to make a flying start into her new career.

    Head Teacher of Plumbing at TAFE NSW Steven Grant said plumbing offers a valuable career path for anyone, regardless of gender.

    “We encourage people of all genders and ages to give a plumbing career a go. This is a career that provides a positive future, with huge demand both in the metropolitan areas and regionally,” said Mr Grant.

    “Nicole’s story is a great example of how TAFE NSW provides the skills our students need to flourish in their jobs. She is a real asset to her employer and a great role model for our other female apprentices, as well as other women thinking about this career.”

    Media contact: Dan Johns, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, 02 7920 5000.

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