Women are being trained in traditional male roles

Rhyl Community College has opened its doors to women who are gaining qualifications in plumbing, car mechanics and interior design.

The trainees have been enlisted to help BBC Wales' community based initiative Voices, which aims to encourage local people to produce their own content for the corporation.

One of the projects is a makeover for the town's Little Theatre and the workforce are the women from the local college.

The theatre is the oldest established children's club in Britain, but in recent years it has fallen into disrepair and through the Voices project it will be repaired and the hall and foyer revamped.

Some are quite shocked when a woman knocks on the door and says 'I'm a painter and a decorator' Jane Healy

Rhyl Community College principal Irene Norman said training was providing a lifeline for local women.

"If we train women to do non-traditional jobs like plumbers, we couple that with the skills of self employment, then what we can do is enable women to access the labour market at a decent salary rate and still care for their dependants," she said.

Trainee mechanic Liz Humphries said the course was ideal for her.

"It's child friendly because we don't start until half past nine, and we don't finish until half past two, which is a great help," she said.

"They pay for childcare, pay for you to get into college and everything," added Nia Allen.

Jane Healy is now fully trained as a painter and decorator after taking part in the course.

"The pensioners would rather have a woman than a man, they'd rather have a woman come in especially if they're older," she said.

"Some are quite shocked when a woman knocks on the door and says 'I'm a painter and a decorator'.

"They go, 'Oh, a woman, not a man'."