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    Media release

    TAFE NSW Albury | 31 July 2025

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    TAFE NSW Albury helps mum-of-three make radical career switch to plumbing

    “It was a bit daunting at first stepping into a male-dominated industry but everyone has been really accepting. I’m proud to be a female plumber and I know when my daughter grows up, it will be much more normal to see.”

    Shelley Knight

    A former Border winery owner, events coordinator and one-time nurse has made a radical career shift to plumbing, part of a small but growing band of women “tapping into” the male-dominated industry. Huon Creek mum-of-three Shelley Knight has had a career rich in diversity, having run the Watchbox winery, worked as an enrolled nurse and events coordinator, and most recently been a team leader at the Bonegilla Migrant Experience.

    Her latest professional incarnation - at 37 years old - is as a first-year apprentice plumber for Twenty2 Plumbing, where she works with her husband Tyson. Plumbing contributes 9 per cent to Australia’s GDP and supports thousands of trade jobs in Australia. A growing skills shortage is increasing wages and job security for qualified plumbers, according to Master Plumbers Australia.

    Shelley Knight is laying underneath a row of bathroom sinks looking towards the camera smiling. She is wearing an orange and navy high-vis jumper and cream cargo pants. Her hair is tied back.

    “My husband and I met when we were 17 – he pursued a career in plumbing and I chose nursing,” Ms Knight said. “I always had the idea that I might get on the tools eventually and when Tyson started Twenty2 Plumbing at the end of 2023, I thought it was the ideal time.”

    “To have another plumber available on-site and to step up when needed is really valuable to our business.” Ms Knight attends TAFE NSW Albury one day a week to build her practical skills and knowledge in the newly renovated plumbing training area. She said despite being a different gender and a generation older than many of her classmates, her TAFE NSW experience had been “overwhelmingly positive”.

    “The teachers are so invested in your success and really take the time to show you how to do things properly,” Ms Knight said. “It’s great to refine your skills before the rush of having to do it onsite. It was a bit daunting at first stepping into a male-dominated industry but everyone has been really accepting. I’m proud to be a female plumber and I know when my daughter grows up, it will be much more normal to see.”

    Females make up just 1 per cent of the plumbing workforce, according to Jobs and Skills Australia. TAFE NSW Albury plumbing teacher Cameron Burt said an increasing number of female tradies were enrolling at the campus.

    “Shelley is an incredible professional and a great presence in the classroom,” Mr Burt said. “Females seem to have a different mindset and have a bit more attention to detail. There are so many opportunities to make a difference in a rewarding plumbing career, and our skills-based courses allow students to hit the ground running.”

    In 2024, TAFE NSW Albury unveiled its refurbished plumbing training workshops, which include 18 individual work bays and a host of industry standard equipment.

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

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