Career starters APPRENTICE PROFILE
To say Brydee King has taken the road less travelled to her plumbing apprenticeship doesn’t quite do it justice. NZ Plumber talks to Brydee about her journey to date and why she thinks more women should get stuck into a plumbing career. AUTHOR: NICK WALKER
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n her past jobs, Brydee has helped develop human medical treatments from pig cells, taken 111 calls for the Police, and managed the admin for major mechanical projects. All this while raising her two sons, Thomas and Sam, who were three and one at the time. But when she saw a chance to get on the tools and start a new career with Deep In Plumbing in Taupō, she jumped at it. While on maternity leave, Brydee helped out with some of the admin at Deep in Plumbing to support her partner Frans van Diepen, who owns the business. Then, when an apprentice left, they needed another pair of hands to help run water pipes at a corn chip factory. “I was like, ‘Hey, I can do this.’ I really enjoyed it, and it just felt like I’d done something really constructive during the day,” she recalls. The initial idea was that, by getting some on-the-job understanding, she’d be able to process the paperwork better and spot any gaps. However, she enjoyed being on the tools so much she didn’t want to go back to the office.
Juggling business and family life often means their two boys coming with Brydee and Frans to work sites. Brydee is shown here with son Sam, who’s four.
A passionate advocate That was three years ago, and in that time Brydee’s love for plumbing has continued to grow. As well as improving her own skills and capabilities, she has become a passionate advocate for women in
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