Anker Plumbing: Mentoring the Next Generation in the Skilled Trades

When Zac Anker founded Anker Plumbing Ltd. in Muskoka in 2022, he wasn't just pursuing a lifelong dream of owning his own business; he was creating a company built on quality workmanship, respect, and a commitment to helping others grow.

The Skilled Trades Regional Networks is a collaborative project between the Ministry of Education, ApprenticeSearch.com, and Skills Ontario. Together, these partners work with school boards and employers to expand experiential learning opportunities in the skilled trades and promote best practices, such as this inspirational story.

When Zac Anker founded Anker Plumbing Ltd. in Muskoka in 2022, he wasn't just pursuing a lifelong dream of owning his own business; he was creating a company built on quality workmanship, respect, and a commitment to helping others grow.

What started as a one-person operation has expanded into a growing team with multiple service vehicles, two apprentices, experienced journeypersons, and projects across the Muskoka region. While the company specializes in residential and commercial plumbing, new construction, renovations, hydronic in-floor heating, camera inspections, sewer locates, and more, Zac believes the company's greatest investment is its people.

A Foundation Built on Quality

For Zac, success isn't measured solely by completed projects. It's measured by how customers are treated and the pride his team takes in every job.

"Our culture is based on doing the best that we can every single day," he explained. “It’s the common understanding of what I wanted to establish in the beginning, which was doing top-notch, best quality work. Whether speaking with a customer on the phone or completing work on-site, every interaction is an opportunity to provide exceptional service and demonstrate professionalism.”

That philosophy has also shaped the workplace culture. With a relatively young team, Anker Plumbing has built an environment where employees support one another, communicate openly, and work together toward shared goals.

"We're like a family," Zac said, describing a workplace where everyone looks out for each other and is committed to delivering quality workmanship. “Everyone looks out for each other, and we all have each other’s backs.”

Apprenticeship as Mentorship

Experiential learning is already deeply embedded in the company's approach to developing new tradespeople. Rather than registering someone as an apprentice immediately, Zac prefers to give prospective apprentices time to experience the trade first.

He lets them begin by working alongside the team, learning the day-to-day realities of plumbing, developing practical skills, and determining whether the career is the right fit. Only after both the employee and employer are confident in that decision does Zac begin the formal apprenticeship process.

"It's a commitment," he explained. "Giving them that grace period lets them decide if it's truly the career they want to pursue. Giving them a little bit of a buffer for a handful of months to get a feel for the trade and to see if it’s truly something that they want to go after, chase after and have a career.

"It doesn’t matter if young or old, as long as they’re a person who is going to build into the culture we’ve created and continue to grow with us. Those who are all-in, who want to learn to become a great tradesperson, not just become a plumber, but become a great tradesperson and get knowledge of all the trades, because it all goes hand-in-hand.”

This approach benefits everyone involved. Students and young workers gain authentic exposure to the trade before making a long-term commitment, while the company invests in individuals who have demonstrated genuine interest and enthusiasm.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

For Zac, there's no substitute for learning on the job. While technical training is essential, he believes practical experience helps students understand how classroom theory applies to real-world situations. Working in the field introduces apprentices to tools, safety practices, installation techniques, and problem-solving long before they encounter those concepts in trade school.

"When they return from school, everything starts to make more sense,” Zac said. "I was very fortunate, through my apprenticeship, to have amazing journeymen and role models. I believe it's a responsibility and privilege not only just as journeymen but as men and women in the trades, to bring these apprentices up to be more than just learning on the tools every day but to teach them good communication skills, determination, good decision making, and overall people skills to help them in various areas that bleed into the rest of there day to day life. You have the opportunity to work hand in hand with another person who has lived a little bit of life that may have helped guide you, if you're a younger person entering the trades. I think an apprenticeship goes beyond just learning to do your job."

Developing People, Not Just Tradespeople

Reflecting on his own career, Zac credits the experienced journeypersons who mentored him not only for teaching him plumbing but for helping shape him into the professional and business owner he is today.

That experience influences how he approaches mentorship with his own employees.

"I don't look at it as just an apprenticeship," he said. "I look at it as a mentorship."

For Zac, experienced tradespeople have an opportunity to help young workers build confidence, resilience, professionalism, and good judgment alongside technical expertise. Those lessons, he believes, extend well beyond the job site and prepare apprentices for successful careers and fulfilling lives.

By creating a supportive environment where questions are encouraged and experienced employees share both knowledge and life experience, Anker Plumbing is helping develop well-rounded trades professionals for the future.

Building Resilience

When asked what qualities today's students need most to succeed in the skilled trades, Zac's answer was immediate: resilience.

He believes every career presents challenges, and the skilled trades are no exception. A positive attitude, a willingness to learn, and the determination to work through difficult days are qualities that set successful apprentices apart.

“It’s that never-quit mentality,” he adds. “Having a positive attitude with the willingness to learn is all an employer can really ask from an apprentice to start.”

Employers, he says, can teach technical skills, but students who arrive eager to learn, willing to work hard, and committed to continuous improvement create the strongest foundation for long-term success.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Like many employers across Ontario, Zac recognizes the growing need to attract more young people into the skilled trades.

He believes that experiential learning, apprenticeships, and employer mentorship all play important roles in addressing workforce shortages. But he also sees an opportunity to better showcase what modern skilled trades careers actually look like.

Today's plumbing industry is highly technical, varied, and rewarding, yet many students never see that side of the profession. By sharing authentic stories, highlighting innovative projects, and using engaging digital content to showcase the realities of the trade, employers and industry organizations can help students see plumbing as an exciting and meaningful career path.

Zac believes that, combined with meaningful workplace experiences and supportive mentorship, these efforts can inspire more young people to consider careers in the skilled trades.

Anker Plumbing Ltd. demonstrates that supporting the next generation starts with creating a workplace where young people are welcomed, encouraged to learn, and given the opportunity to discover whether the trade is the right fit.

By emphasizing mentorship, practical experience, and a culture built on respect and continuous learning, Zac Anker is investing not only in the future of his business but in the future of Ontario's skilled trades workforce.

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