Niri Sohpaul: Elevating Trades and Bridging Communities

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Niri Sohpaul was gainfully working as a Power Engineer but felt like she needed some specialized skills to reach her goals – so she decided to pursue a skilled trades certification. She completed her Plumbing apprenticeship under the watchful guidance of her father and together they operate 2G Mechanical. 

Niri Sohpaul didn’t always know she wanted to be a Red Seal plumber, but she always knew who to ask about becoming one: her dad, a Red Seal plumber.  

Growing up, Niri often assisted her dad with home projects or technical tasks, from which she developed a love for critical thinking and hands-on work. After high school she went into Power Engineering (at BCIT) and completed her 2-year certification and Fourth Class standing (her dad is a First Class Power Engineer).  

Niri was gainfully working as a Power Engineer but she still wanted to develop some specialized skills to further her knowledge and capabilities, especially in pursuit of her dream of running a business.  This dream inspired her to look to the trade most familiar to her, plumbing.  

Upon completing her apprenticeship with her dad and achieving her Red Seal certification, the father-daughter duo continue to work together in the family-owned business: 2G Mechanical. Niri uses her own unique journey as an example to the younger generations in her family – showing them that the skilled trades is a diverse and valuable career option. 

“It's a great career. I remember five, 10 years ago, people kind of maybe looked down upon that a little bit, but now it's very looked highly upon. The perspective has changed, which I really appreciate…I always want to push that forward and say, listen, I've got a career, I've built my 21-year career in power engineering, but I've also done it in plumbing and I've run a business…just endorsing women to get involved in that is one of the biggest things.” 

She wants to be a role model to other South Asian folks specifically that the skilled trades is a great career path and she takes that responsibility to heart, especially with the younger generation in her family.  

In addition to her work with the BC Centre for Women in The Trades (BCCWITT) through the Leaders in Trades (LIT) program, her interest in advocacy extends beyond skilled trades as a founder and co-host of the Sher Vancouver Podcast (2020-24) which sought to highlight and elevate stories from the BIPOC, South Asian and LGBTQ+ communities.  

Whether it is through her work in plumbing, BCCWITT or the podcast - Niri aims to showcase different pathways as a way to normalize what is different and she herself is a great example of that – a South Asian woman in trades who has successfully paved her own path by being herself and following her values.