North Lakes-based AFL player Eilish Anderson-Grundon’s passion for learning, strong desire to help others and recommendation from her employer Tim Plimmer at Axis Maintenance Services helped her stand out from many other strong Grant applicants.
In fact, according to Tim, Eilish outperforms any other apprentice he has been involved with in his 20-plus years in the plumbing industry.
Meet the Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grant winner Eilish Anderson-Grundon from North Lakes, QLD
Eilish Anderson-Grundon
Eilish, who is in her fourth year at Skills Tech Acacia Ridge, loves plumbing as it offers plenty of variety and gives her the opportunity to learn something new every day.
“I knew it was a career path that would keep me physically and mentally active,” says Eilish.
Eilish invests the same amount of dedication and hard work in her AFL career. For the past five years she has played women’s AFL in Central Queensland and since relocating closer to Brisbane in 2016, has been selected two years in a row to play in the Queensland State AFL League.
“Coming from a small regional competition to a high-level state completion has been a big change and a huge personal achievement,” says Eilish.
“I knew it was a career path that would keep me physically and mentally active,” says Eilish.
Eilish is already using her plumbing skills to help her family, including fixing her grandparent’s leaking roof and helping her father with the pool pump.
“I’m also in a great position where I can encourage and support women to pursue a career in what is traditionally a male-dominated industry,” says Eilish.
Eilish plans to complete her apprenticeship, a Certificate IV in plumbing and a Certificate IV in project management then travel to broaden her knowledge of the trade and volunteer in third world countries to help provide clean drinking water and adequate sewage facilities.
Eilish is already using her plumbing skills to help her family, including fixing her grandparent’s leaking roof and helping her father with the pool pump.
About Rheem Apprentice Plumber Recognition Award winner Nicole Harrington from Clontarf, QLD
Nicole Harrington may only be in the second year of her plumbing apprenticeship but her passion for plumbing and building and experiences in a male-dominated industry has seen her nominated for a National Association of Women in Construction’s 2017 Young Achievers Award and an HIA award, present talks to Brisbane school students on what it’s like to be a female plumber, and represent her company, Plumber Rat, at the Business and Professional Women in Australia Panel.
Nicole knew what she was getting into before starting her apprenticeship.
She has also played an active part in the legislation change to remove non-conforming plumbing products, which saw her liaise with Brett Basset, QBCC Commissioner and become a mentee in the Women’s Plumbing Alliance, working closely with Carli Lowe, the MPAQ Female Plumbing Ambassador and Plumbing Inspector for the Brisbane Council.
Nicole knew what she was getting into before starting her apprenticeship, having grown up surrounded by the trades in her family’s plumbing and building business, where she currently works. Her extra activities aside, Nicole enjoys plumbing’s variety and mental and physical challenges and most of all, being able to quickly solve customers’ plumbing problems.
Nicole enjoys plumbing’s variety and mental and physical challenges and most of all, being able to quickly solve customers’ plumbing problems.
While Nicole’s future career dream is to run her own work site, in the short term she plans to travel with her church to Cambodia to help build new homes and install plumbing to provide clean water and sanitation for the She Rescue Home.
