Transitioning into plumbing: Peter Shaw’s story

Peter Shaw (37) spent sixteen and a half years in the British forces as a bagpiper for the Royal Highland Fusiliers before realizing he needed to retrain to support his young family. In May this year he embarked on a 2-week tiling course, followed by the Plumbing Diploma at Trades Training School.

Peter loved the building aspect of the courses on offer, but wasn’t sure which course to take. He enjoyed the tiling course so much that he decided to take the longer plumbing course as well. Peter’s father and his uncles were also plumbers, so he decided to give it a shot.

Peter now works full time for Edinburgh Council as an indoor plumber maintaining and installing bathrooms and kitchens, as well as helping with any major repairs that are needed.

Peter said: “These courses changed my life and have given me massive sense of achievement. They pushed me to get on with work in my own home and helped me find employment. I learned to price jobs up correctly and the people skills to manage clients. As a result, I have landed a job for life with a good salary and work ethic. I'm also part of Trades Training School’s students’ support group where I can access help and advice, and return to the school to show off my skills.”

For more information about Trades Training School click here.