[naviga:h2]Ryan Wong, [/naviga:h2]

Plumber

Batson Swan Plumbing

"Start young and never give up on your dreams."

Ryan Wong has always loved fixing impossible problems, especially when it comes to plumbing. In fact at the age of 14 he took a summer job working for a plumbing business and knew for certain this was the career path for him. While interested in technical drawing and architecture, he decided to pursue this trade through the Apprentice Programme offered by Batson Swan Plumbing.

The CedarBridge Academy graduate attended the NTB sponsored NCCER plumbing course at the Bermuda College for two and a half years, all the while working for Mr. Swan's company.

Mr. Wong appreciated that this course had not only a theory component — which gives a grasp of the mechanics and terms of the trade, but also a hands on, practical component.

"I love the freedom of being able to move around. I travel all over the Island instead of just being stuck in one place. I also get to meet a lot of people."

The skills to succeed as a plumber include being patient and having a knack for solving sometimes complicated issues.

"No two houses in Bermuda have the same plumbing and no two houses have the same problem. And the same problem may have different causes! You have to be up to the challenge."

The 23-year-old has to complete 3,000 to 4,000 hours working "on the tools" to complete his apprenticeship for Batson Swan before being able to call himself a full-fledged plumber. He also has to write for the Bermuda Certification.

"Start young and never give up on your dreams. Stick with it and work it out. It will be very rewarding."