The plumbing trade has gotten a bad rap over the years. The real truth is plumbers are highly skilled professionals who have great job security and are always in demand. The plumbing industry offers several different career paths, including residential plumbing, commercial plumbing, and steam and pipe fitting. A residential plumber’s day will include anything from installing and repairing water-related appliances to troubleshooting and diagnosing water flow issues. Those on this path help maintain our comfortable and clean lifestyles! While no project is more important than one’s own home, commercial plumbers tend to work on larger-scale projects. They are managing the water flowing in and out of our schools, hospitals, data centers, and more! A commercial plumber will spend their day studying blueprints, assisting in the designing, and building of water distribution systems, and performing preventative maintenance services to ensure safe operations. Pipefitting and steam fitting are core aspects of plumbing and are highly specialized skills. No matter where you go—indoors and outdoors—the presence of water and pipes presents the need for plumbers.
Plumbing is an excellent career option for those who wish to enter a high-demand, high-paying industry. The skills and training needed to become a licensed plumber are learned in programs that offer not only hands-on training but also satisfy the related instructional requirements for individuals aiming to earn their journeyman and/or master license. Such programs are offered at many of the schools in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). You can train to become a plumber at many of the State’s community colleges and pay only 2/3 of tuition through the FastForward workforce credential grant. These funds are made available to Virginia residents meeting the simple eligibility requirement of having lived in the State for 12 months or longer. In some circumstances, additional funding may be available so some may not even pay a dollar for this very lucrative training! All of this adds up to marketable skills, job security, diverse career paths, and little to no college debt!
Some other benefits of training to become a plumber include:
Long and Wide Career Paths. Gaining basic, entry-level plumbing skills can serve as the springboard to a career in residential plumbing, commercial plumbing, building maintenance, project management, and more. Managing the water flow in our homes, buildings and infrastructure is crucial to safety, operations, and simple comforts. Plumbers design pipe systems for houses and buildings, manage town water systems, install pipework for city drainage or high-pressure gas systems, and they also become supervisors and oversee various plumbing projects. One could even stack their credentials with other trades skills, such as HVAC and electrical, and the career pathways become endless.
You have incredible advancement opportunities. According to EMSI, Laurel Ridge’s online employment database and career coach, the normal pay for plumbers is about $53,660 whereas highly skilled plumbers can net around $84,950 annually. This does not take into consideration the opportunity to run your own business, allowing you to determine your own hours and set your own earning ceiling!
You can say goodbye to plumbing bills. Once the skills are acquired, they are yours to use at your disposal! You no longer have to call about hot water issues or leaks in fixtures because you can take care of everything yourself.
Now is a great time to plan for a future in plumbing. Laurel Ridge Workforce Solutions offers four levels of the plumbing apprenticeship and sets you up for a successful future in the industry. With current grant funding opportunities, training to become a plumber is not expensive as you may think. Talk to us about your future to see if plumbing is the trade for you.