One company refused to give her an apprenticeship because they believed she would be too much of a distraction to the males.
But Beth Pike, from West Auckland, said the ability to be paid and learn on the job encouraged her to complete a four-year apprenticeship.
The 28-year-old decided to start a plumbing and drain laying apprenticeship after having her first child and deciding university was too hard with a baby at home.
Pike chose a plumbing apprenticeship because of its necessity in everyday life.
"I've always been interested in doing physical work and I thought that plumbers, even in a recession, are always going to be needed."
Pike is now also juggling being a mother of two, having recently given birth to her second child.
She says she does not see anything stopping women from doing apprenticeships as "women are just as capable as men are".
Pike says she does experience sexism for being a female tradie. Only once has it been negative, when a company refused to give her an apprenticeship because they believed she would be too much of a distraction to the males.
She says although the company knew she would not come to work in "short shorts", they would still not take her on.
The comments she receives at work are just "banter" and "always something to laugh about", she says.
"I give them grief back so it's fine. I think when you go into it you have to understand that you are working with males, don't give them anything to talk about," Pike says.
Having already finished her four-year National Certificate in plumbing, completing 8000 hours of work, Pike only has half of her drain laying apprenticeship left before she is fully qualified for both trades.
She says she will continue her drain laying apprenticeship once her newborn is a bit older.
Pike recently won the Plumbing World award for Excellence in Plumbing and Drainlaying at the Apprenticeship Training Trust annual graduation ceremony on August 24.
She was the only female to win an award.
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