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Australia's construction industry is in the midst of a skills shortage but, for some of those training to fill the gaps, making ends meet is a challenge.
Mother of three Summer Hodge is a second-year mature-age apprentice and has left her career in accounting behind to get on the tools.
"I love being outdoors … I'm not stuck in an office with four walls and every day is something different," Ms Hodge said.
"You're not doing the same month, the same tax return."
In the plumbing industry, apprentice wages start at just $16.13 per hour for people who have completed year 12 and are aged under 21. That only goes up to $24.20 per hour if you're a mature-age apprentice.
Ms Hodge works hard to juggle being a mother with training to be a plumber.
She said that the combination of low wages and the increase in the cost of living is deterring people from considering taking up an apprenticeship later in life.
"If you're [currently] on a good wage, you wouldn't stop to be an apprentice," Ms Hodge said.
She's only able to get by through sacrifice and support from her family.
"You just don't go out for dinner, not that we go out for dinner … but you know, our house insurance has just gone up by $1,700 compared to last year," Ms Hodge said.
"Mum or sometimes my mother-in-law does school pick-up, the two kids are with my mum today.
"If I had sent two kids to vacation care every day, it's horrendously expensive — it wouldn't be worth my time working.
"We're lucky that we do have people to help because there are so many people that don't have anyone."
Value of mature-age apprentices
Ms Hodge's boss, Ian McKenzie, has been in the plumbing industry basically his whole life.
His father was a plumber, and he's been working in the industry for 23 years.
Mr McKenzie currently has two other mature-age apprentices on the books, and he said their reliability makes up for having to pay higher wages.
"They have some life experience, so they know how to present themselves," Mr McKenzie said.
Penny Cornah, who also followed her father into the plumbing industry, is the executive director for the Master Plumbers Association of Queensland.
She knows the value older apprentices can bring for employers and the wider industry.
"Mature-age apprentices can help address the current skill shortages out there," Ms Cornah said.
"They've got more life skills, and they may be able to bring that to your company from a previous employer or a previous career path that they've held."
Ms Cornah would also love to see more women join the industry.
"At the moment, there are over 16,000 licensed plumbers in Queensland, and of them, only about 60 are female," Ms Cornah said.
"We are seeing more come through, but unfortunately, not enough."
"We really need more women in our industry to help with the skill shortages that are out there."
Mr McKenzie agrees.
"Certainly, more females in the trade right across the board probably would be beneficial," Mr McKenzie said.
"So they have a different work ethic."
"Neatness and application to work is probably the biggest thing, and the way they present themselves to the client rather than some of the guys that are on job sites, they're pretty rough around the edges."
Employers 'need more support'
The Queensland government acknowledges that 106,400 additional workers with a vocational education and training (VET) qualification are required by 2024-25.
"We are in the midst of surging workforce growth, so given the rapidly changing landscape, including demand for different higher-level skills and national skills reforms, a new Queensland VET strategy is required," Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer said.
In a measure to address this issue, a review of the Good people. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 has been made.
"The review is aimed at ensuring the financial modelling is right and we are investing in the right training to support our changing workforce and are making sure students across the state can access the training they need," Ms Farmer said.
A discussion paper has been tabled, forums are to be held and the state government has launched an online survey to gather the views of stakeholders and users of the VET system to develop a new strategy.
"We welcome the government's announcement on this review," Ms Cornah said.
"Employers really need more support to put on apprentices due to the costs associated with hiring an apprentice.
"This would make it more appealing to put on more apprentices and to really address the skill shortage out there."
Mr McKenzie agrees — he'd like to see wage support for businesses that employ apprentices.
"We [currently] have to just pass that cost along to the client, which in turn just makes everyone's living expenses go up," he said.
"There's no other choice [except] to pass that cost along because … costs have gone up across the board for the business."
Work-life balance is essential
Mr McKenzie understands the challenges mature-age apprentices face with on-the-job training, TAFE study, and family life.
He said being flexible is important to keep them on the job.
"I let my guys — because they've all got children — start a little bit later so they can all do [school] drop off," Mr McKenzie said.
"And sometimes you don't know until the morning that their kids wake up sick and they can't go to kindy."
Supporting apprentices who are trying to raise a family is close to home for him, because Summer is not only one of his apprentices but she's also his wife.
"You get a bit frustrated working and living together at the same time," Mr McKenzie said.
"But yeah, we support each other and try and move the business along."
Ms Hodge agrees, joking about how their work-life dynamic can be testing at times.
"Oh yeah, pretty much ready to kill him," she said.
"He tells me that I can't tell him what to do because he's the plumber and I'm the apprentice.
"But, that doesn't stop me trying to tell him what to do."