Associates from Oatey Co., a leading manufacturer in the plumbing industry, volunteered for the third consecutive year at the Let’s Build Construction Careers Camp for Girls, held in June at Mahoning County Career & Technical Center in Canfield, Ohio. As a returning sponsor, Oatey developed and delivered a hands-on plumbing training designed to introduce campers to real-world skills and career opportunities in the trades.
The mission of the Let’s Build Construction Careers Camp for Girls is to empower girls ages 12–17 to explore career paths in skilled trades, construction and manufacturing—fields where women have traditionally been underrepresented. This free, week-long program offers experiential learning, field trips and mentorship, providing early exposure to high-demand careers like plumbing, pipefitting, electrical work, welding, drywall installation, bricklaying and more.
Oatey volunteers, led by technical specialist Jim Eichenser, facilitated a Plumbing 101 workshop. Throughout the day, they instructed and mentored campers rotating through skill stations focused on core plumbing fundamentals, including solvent welding PVC pipe, installing washer supply boxes and sink strainers, pulling and setting toilets and soldering copper pipe.
“The level of interest and enthusiasm these campers showed was truly inspiring,” said Eichenser. “Introducing them to experiences like this early on is so important—not just for building technical skills, but for helping them gain confidence and see the breadth of opportunities in the skilled trades. Exposure like this can be the spark that shapes a future career.”
