Online Plumbing Training Classes

Very few professions are as recognized as plumbers are. While they have been the object of more than a few jokes-all well intended, no doubt-when the pipe breaks and the basement is flooding, no one is laughing anymore and the first person called to do the job of fixing them is a plumber. This is one of the fundamental infrastructure fields of employment. Just try going anywhere and not see some kind of plumbing. As to the basics, this is primarily a unionized and apprenticeship based profession.

According to recent research over 31% of all plumbers are members of a union, the total number of plumbers and pipe fitters, a subset of plumbing, is around 500,000. However, the unions report over 350,000 total memberships. This is difficult to track, as many of the unions are independent locals. This is one of the most unionized professions in America today. In almost every state, there are licensures that are required to operate, and in order to hold a union journeymen's card you need to be licensed as well. Start your dream today and find plumbing schools in your area that offer career training.

You have to pass this industry standard exam to establish your credentials as a good contractor. Are you wondering how you are going to find the time and resources to prepare for this exam? You know you cannot take time off and attend classes or you will lose your income. There is good new - there are online courses which can help you prepare for this exam without taking any time away from your work week and so you do not have to worry that you will never be able to work on getting this critical license.

The apprenticeship process consists of a five-year, paid, on-the-job training program with no less than 246 hours of annual classroom time. Once you complete your apprenticeship you will carry the coveted title of "Journeyman Plumber". As with any unionized profession, membership in the union is half of the value of the profession itself, as it insures benefits packages that just happen to be the envy of the world. Retirement is another great benefit to this profession as it is worth more, even with the smallest of retirement checks, because many people are finding real retirement out of their reach.

There are four major specializations for union plumbers; they are Plumber, Pipelayer, Pipefitter and Steamfitters. The job field for those who hold these titles can extend all the way up to nuclear reactors, as they are primarily steam driven systems. Regardless of how "well" Wall Street, Madison Avenue and Hollywood are, every one of them has plumbing and needs plumbers, steamfitters and the like, every construction project small or large must have plumbing.

This is based on existing growth curves and does not account for factors such as economic recovery or the nascent solar industry. It is estimated the up to 10% of all homes will be refitted for solar thermal energy system over the next ten years, and possibly more. This will certainly drive demand beyond current estimates. Excellent salaries, world class benefits, retirement, and job demand growth make this one of the most desirable career choices.