Oatey Co., a leading manufacturer in the plumbing industry since 1916, recently sponsored a plumbing day at Northeast Ohio Let’s Build Construction Camp for Girls—a program for middle-school-aged and high-school-aged girls to attend a free week-long camp to explore the construction trades, architecture, engineering, and construction manufacturing through hands-on experiences and field trips.
As a premier sponsor of the program, Oatey’s Women’s Resource Network (WRN), an associate resource group dedicated to women’s professional, personal, and leadership development, volunteered at the camp on Tuesday, June 27. Thirteen WRN members attended the plumbing day, teaching campers the art of installing Oatey’s Quadtro Washing Machine Outlet Box and other plumbing products that Oatey donated to the program. The group also hosted and led a Lunch-and-Learn about careers at Oatey, informing campers about the endless possibilities that exist for women in the construction industry.
Each camper received a copy of the book “The House That She Built,” empowering them to help spread the word about careers in construction. The book educates young readers about the people and skills that go into building a home and tells the true story of a home built by all female tradespeople.
“The Women’s Resource Network is proud to support a program that aims to inspire and equip young girls with knowledge of a traditionally male-dominated industry,” says Amanda Keiber, co-chair of the WRN and director of corporate communications at Oatey Co.
“The hands-on experiences offered at the camp allowed these girls to learn on their feet, build camaraderie with one another, and realize their potential. It is not just about teaching plumbing skills, but also about imparting life skills, exposing them to possible career paths, and helping them break barriers to explore new possibilities.”
Oatey learned about Let’s Build on its “The Fix” podcast featuring guest Plumber Paige, a 20-year-old skilled trades advocate and social media influencer, who attended another recent Let’s Build camp that took place in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. After learning about Let’s Build, Oatey was eager to support the NE Ohio camp, as the program aligns well with Oatey’s mission to support the trades and help grow the pipeline of talent into the industry.
“We are grateful for the Oatey Women’s Resource Network’s involvement in Northeast Ohio Let’s Build Construction Camp for Girls,” says Shelly Higgins, camp director of NE Ohio Let’s Build Construction Camp for Girls. “The plumbing day that the WRN members hosted was a great opportunity for the campers to learn about installing Oatey’s innovative products and gain hands-on experience.
“Oatey’s dedication to supporting the trades has created a lasting impact on the campers,” she says. “We hope other industry leaders follow Oatey’s example and help us continue providing campers with these invaluable experiences.”
