EMMA VENNE
Plumbing Apprentice, Venne Plumbing
Emma Venne was working two jobs to put herself through nursing school and looking for a ray of light when her dad, owner of Venne Plumbing, asked her if she’d ever considered joining the trades. Truthfully, she hadn’t. “Yes, my dad is a plumber. But I never really connected the dots and said, hey—maybe that’s something I could do.”
Every great decision comes down to timing. The time was right for Emma to join the family business. She left nursing school and embarked on a 4-year non-union plumbing apprenticeship, with her dad as her mentor. “They have night school, so I get to work a full 8-hour day beforehand. I can pay my bills and go to school and not have to worry about giving 100% to one or the other.”
Plumbers are unsung heroes. They work behind the scenes, often in cramped spaces, to fix problems and bring modern comfort to the places we live and work. That power to solve puzzles makes Emma’s job incredibly satisfying to her. “When I walk onto a job that is completely gutted out or if it’s a brand-new house being built, you get to look at the whole thing and try to envision the big picture when all you have is studs. It’s super crazy to get to see that process happen right before my eyes.”
Now in the 3rd year of her apprenticeship, Emma is the only woman in her class. Out in the field, the demographics are similar. People might be surprised to see a young female plumber, but the vibe has been very supportive. “I don’t feel like I’ve had any negative feedback yet. Obviously, I take all the feedback I can because I’m learning, but gender-wise people are more like, that’s really awesome—good for you.”
To Emma, another sweet part of being a plumber is getting to be inspired by her dad on the daily. The rite of passing down trade knowledge to the next generation has traditionally been reserved for fathers and sons. But as a little girl, Emma played in her dad’s work van, helped with the tools and admired his talent for working with his hands. It makes perfect sense that now she’s working alongside him to carry on the family legacy. “It’s been a blast working with my dad. I feel like this has built our relationship a lot stronger, and we’re closer to each other than ever now.”
Learn more about Venne Plumbing.