By Mikayla van Loon
Making a career change can be a daunting task but for Mooroolbark’s Michael MacDonald, 35, taking up a plumbing apprenticeship during the height of Covid-19 seemed like the perfect time to expand his skillset.
Originally qualified as an electrician in 2012, Mr MacDonald said the pandemic had a huge impact on his ability to work.
“I was self employed running a business and people were reluctant to have me in their homes, purely because of the risks associated with Covid,” he said.
“Obviously, being in lockdown as well, it made it difficult to run a business and it was quite stressful to be honest. My dad is a plumber and he managed to get a little bit of maintenance work at school when no one was around because of a lockdown.
“I began working with him and doing plumbing and really enjoyed it and decided to make the change and jump in the deep end of doing an apprenticeship.”
Just entering his third year, Mr MacDonald said going back to do the plumbing trade was “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Although initially challenging stepping back into an environment predominantly accustomed to 17, 18 and 19 year olds, Mr MacDonald said they have welcomed him with open arms.
“I was worried about being labelled the ‘old guy’. But one of the things I’ve learned about plumbing is it’s a really diverse industry and you get all types of people working and they accepted me as much as I accepted them.
“I’ve learned things from them. I have an open ear to what they have to say but they also learn things from me with a bit of wisdom.”
For Mr MacDonald, his wife and two children both under the age of five, returning to be an apprentice was quite a risk financially.
“It was a big shift, a big change but I know the value of the skill. So at the end of the day, once you’re qualified, and to have both trades, I’m very confident that it will come back in spades, that there’s an opportunity to work hard and make money,” he said.
Needing to pay school fees and purchase all new plumbing equipment, Mr MacDonald applied for the Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants and was successful in receiving $3000 towards his studies.
“I’m happy to have it because it’s going to assist me quite a lot in dealing with the cost of living, being able to go towards some of the school fees and being able to get the tools that I need to do the job. It was a good surprise.”
Having the support from the industry and knowing that his ambition to be a dually qualified tradesperson is being recognised outside of his TAFE has spurred Mr MacDonald on to complete his final two years.
As someone always tinkering with mechanical equipment, pulling things apart and putting them back together again, Mr MacDonald said he sees an opportunity to combine his electrical and plumbing trades.
“After the Covid pandemic, I think there’s an opportunity where people will be looking at how air moves through buildings and workplaces.
“How can we filter that air? How can we get it moving out faster than we normally do and manage it as well as make sure it’s clean and it’s getting refreshed on a regular basis.”
Needing both electrical skills to power the air conditioning unit but also plumbing to hook up the piping, Mr MacDonald said “those two go hand in hand” and is something he’d like to specialise in.
Also having his solar qualification, Mr MacDonald is trained to install a heat pump as either an electrician or plumber to heat hot water without any carbon emissions.
Had the pandemic never happened, Mr MacDonald said he never would have changed his career path but he’s extremely grateful he made the jump.
“I think anything you can do that enhances your education is important. You never stop learning. I’m always open to other opportunities and I think anyone should be. If you can, be a sponge, soak up as much as you can and learn as much as you can.”
