Tracey Richardson MIfL, AICPHE, RP

During her 22 years as a technician in the RAF, Tracey Richardson decided she wanted to be a teacher, and took a part time Certificate of Education at Wolverhampton University. It was very new to her: “Sometimes I felt out of my depth but after I’d talked it through with others on my course, I found I was not alone, just merely out of my comfort zone”. She became particularly interested in dyslexic adults, so followed up the course with a PGCE in learning difficulties at Manchester Metropolitan University.

And that, probably, is what she would have ended up doing after the RAF, had not the resettlement clerk happened to say, looking at her qualifications, “female plumber – you’ll never be out of work!” On the spot, Tracey decided that was a good idea. “But if I was going to do it, I wanted to do it properly.” In 2005-6 she took a City & Guilds course, and worked part time as a plumber, building up experience before embarking on an NVQ.

She got the Level 2 NVQ and found she was turning down a lot of gas work, so embarked on a course and got Gas Safe registration. Unfortunately an old back injury, from her days in the RAF, started giving her trouble so , she made contact with Rodbaston College (now South Staffordshire College) to see if there was some teaching she could do. “They said, ooh, female plumber with cert ed and onsite experience.” She started as a part time teacher, became full time, and was asked to take on some assessment. For this she needed her level 3 NVQ. “I’ve done all the work, the external verifier has approved. Now I’m just waiting for the final certificate.” I have also just gone through the Professional Formation process and am awaiting my results.

She is keen to keep up to date, both as a plumber and as a teacher. The Institute for Learning (IfL) helps to keep her up to date with developments in teaching, and it promotes professional standards and a mentoring system in the college. “I’ve been introduced to active learning techniques which help to keep students on task” she says. Her special needs teaching has also enabled her to identify and help students who struggle with the written word.

She’s also a member of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE). “I encourage my students to take a pride in their work” she says “and membership of CIPHE is a sign that they do. CIPHE has a code of conduct, people have been struck off. They do act on shoddy workmanship and unethical professional behaviour.”

It also keeps her up to date. “Its magazine and website tell you what is happening in the industry, and you have to do 30 hours CPD each year. Without all that you could be teaching some old practices.”

That’s a key task for the Institute, says its chief executive, Blane Judd. “Plumbing is expanding technically very fast, with such things as rainwater harvesting, greywater re-use, bio-mass boilers. All these things are happening around plumbing lecturers and if they are not engaged with them, they will not produce the professional plumbers we need for the future.”