Georgia finds a career path where she is fulfilled with an apprenticeship as a gas plumber.
Having explored a career in the Royal Navy at 16, her role saw her maintaining the safety of ships and other vessels using radar and solar systems.
She then moved across to nursing, but Georgia was feeling the heat of the profession during the peak of the pandemic and was always hoping to fulfil her aspirations of finding something more practical.
After seeing an apprenticeship role advertised with us, Georgia took the plunge and applied for a role. Now three years later, she has nearly completed her apprenticeship which has allowed her to reach her career ambitions.
Plymouth-based Georgia Popham-Roberts said: “I've really enjoyed it. I started off doing responsive repairs and maintenance on the plumbing side and then as the course progressed. I have gone through different departments.
"I started on day-to-day responsive repairs in plumbing, and then went over to do a bit of kitchen and bathroom fitting, and then came over to the gas side to finish off the apprenticeship.
“While nursing, I came home from work one evening really stressed, in absolute tears thinking I can’t do this anymore. I saw LiveWest was offering apprenticeships and applied.
“So from nursing to here, it's night and day, people ask me, especially my wife, do you ever think about going back? Absolutely not because I love what I do now.
Georgia is taking her gas qualifications in March, which will include a portfolio of work and an end-point assessment. With a job guaranteed within the company upon completion, Georgia wouldn’t want to go anywhere else.
Georgia said: “I’m really happy about securing a job after, I wouldn’t want to leave, so I will see where it takes me.
“I like the interaction with residents and colleagues and being practical. I love the people that I work with particularly the team I’m in at the moment.
“Mark, my mentor, is absolutely amazing. He makes sure he spends the time and he’ll explicitly say this job will take as long as it takes because I’ve got an apprentice, you can’t teach if you’re rushing.
“Everyone has been so supportive and because I’ve moved around the business people will ask how I’m getting on.
Georgia won a national plumbing competition in 2025 and as part of that the Wolseley Plumbing Centre paid for her to go up to Shrewsbury and complete an air source heat pump course.
The company who run it have invited her back to Bath and Coalville for the South Regionals and the Final to guest judge.
Georgia said: ““The competition was amazing! It’s a great learning opportunity and it’s a nice way to do the full circle and see the other side."
"So I’m qualified in air source heat pumps but I can’t get the qualification until I finish this apprenticeship course. But then I will have the plumbing, gas and air source heat pumps.
“It definitely helps to go into our homes and have a mixture of skills. It still might have a gas boiler but there might be solar panels on the roof and things like that so it’s good to expand your knowledge in those areas.
“It’s great that LiveWest can offer that because it’s going to become more popular and in demand for people to have.”