Women In Trades Wednesday- Billie McDonnell

Billie McDonnell is an apprentice plumber, gasfitter and tradesman drainlayer.

Currently working on one of New Zealand’s biggest building projects (Commercial Bay), with 39 levels, Billie can be doing anything. She’s completed the fire register paperwork for the whole job and when she’s not busy with that Billie is likely to be helping one of the boys on the tools.

Billie’s dad got her into her trade- he’s a qualified plumber and gasfitter. She started out helping out on one of his jobs doing lagging to save money for a farming course, then decided that actually plumbing didn’t look like too bad of a job. Within the week Billie was officially an apprentice for that company.

On what she loves about her trade, Billie says- “I love the fact that plumbing isn’t what everyone thinks it is. Every day is different, I’m doing commercial work and absolutely just loving every aspect of the trade so far.” 

Her most proud career achievement would have to be “still continuing with my trade after I had an accident on site and snapped my femur in half. Following this I didn’t have any hesitation to continue plumbing, and I’m so proud of how far I’ve come and how much I can now do even through all the struggles and problems I’ve had with my leg ever since. Also passing my tradesman drain laying qualification recently was a big achievement for me.”

Future career goals for Billie are running a job site and also becoming qualified in all 3 of her plumbing trades to the highest level.

“I would encourage any women to get into the trade. It’s a bloody good time and you won’t regret it at all. There are struggles and there’s accomplishments, but in the end a trade is way to go.”