Justine Win

Starting Out in Hospitality Management

After completing her A-levels, Justine completed a degree in institutional management in the 1990s, specialising in hospitality areas such as hotels and catering – an industry she would remain in for “decades”.

As the years wore on, she started noticing signs it was time for a change.

Trying on Other Roles for Size

Eager for a fresh start, Justine dipped her toes into recruitment for a few years before realising that industry wasn’t for her, either. “I'm just not a salesperson,” she notes. From there, she tried her hand at office management at BP, before deciding she was ready to try something new.
 
But soon, another challenge appeared on the horizon.
 

Battling Illness

“I had a period of time when I was unwell, so I had ME [Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome] for three, four years and I was actually wheelchair bound — my life changed,”Justine explains.
 
It was a chapter of her life that was “stressful and daunting”, but helped shift perspective on her professional aspirations. “I just thought, 'life is short, Justine'. I went to a couple of interviews for office management again and I thought, I just can't sell myself here.”
 

Discovering Her Calling

At this point in her life, Justine considered what aspects of work appealed to her most. “I love hospitality which is hands-on,” she says, and “I don't want to be desk-bound. I enjoy problem solving. I enjoy people”.
 
Ultimately, Justine wanted a career where she could make an immediate impact and enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done whilst steering clear of ‘office politics’ environments.
 
“And I just said, you know what, I'm going to retrain and I'm going to become a plumber.”
 

Starting a Plumbing Apprenticeship

Keen to start her pivot into a plumbing career, Justine began with three-month fast track plumbing course whilst working at BP, with the understanding that gaining hands-on work experience would be the biggest challenge.

Justine applied to women-only plumbing company Stopcocks, but was told she didn’t have sufficient experience. Fortunately, a colleague at BP discovered Justine’s plans to become a plumber, and said to her “you need to speak to my mate Fred”.

A gruff Irishman in his 60s, Fred was initially reluctant to take on a female apprentice, Justine says. But her determination was obvious, and Fred took her on. “He taught me so much”, she says.

Making Inroads into a New Trade

Working as a plumber’s apprentice was a test of Justine’s resilience and confidence, as she worked with no pay and received no support to succeed. “I did a lot of self-talking to myself, going into work,” she says.

“I remember going like, just, you can do this, just be calm, watch and learn and just accept you're not going to get your hands on the tools.”

Justine carefully watched and listened, absorbing all she could about plumbing techniques and know-how. Professionalism — including safety standards — in domestic services environments is less of a concern compared to commercial plumbing work, she notes. But the experience as a domestic plumbing apprentice strengthened her resolve.

The Dynamics of a Male-Dominated Workplace

Working in an all-male environment, Justine said she was referred to on-site as ‘Doris’, simply because she was a woman. Prejudice is still an issue for women in male-dominated workplaces, and is especially prevalent when males group together. “When I was away from Fred, the guys, one-to-one, it was very, very different, with really open conversations [with male colleagues],” she says.

Another Door Opens

Eventually Justine was approached by a friend about another apprenticeship opportunity specific for older or female workers. Whilst the timing was seemingly perfect, Justine had put in years of effort just to get her foot in the door. Now was her chance to shine in an engineering role where she could “really start to fly”.

The Plumbing Industry is Evolving Fast

 There is a real need to change perceptions of disciplines like plumbing to not only attract more women in engineering but young people more broadly.

“I think they need to move away from always seeing as engineers hard-hat, high-vis, goggles. Because at the end of the day, people think, oh god, it's a dirty environment I'm working in.

“But if you go into a new building now, everything is operated with [digital] technology.  All the valves open with technology,”she says. Far from being a fully manual role, plumbing and related engineering jobs are becoming increasingly digitised.

She adds, “I think it's a fantastic industry and there's so much diversity and scope out there.”

Take The Next Step

Ready to start a new career path in engineering? Our core missions at Alexander Associates are to champion women in engineering and connecting engineers to their ideal roles across the UK. To discuss the broad range of opportunities on offer, contact the team today.