Walking into the Union training center you hear the sound of tape measures closing, saws cutting pvc pipe, and see the confused look on students faces when their piece came out too short when they swear they did the math right.
This is the Plumbers bridge program. This new program, only in its 3rd year, has been going extremely well. From October 6th to December 8th students learn all the basics of plumbing and general trades math in order to get ahead of the curve at a young age with the Local 130 Union in Chicago. “What we do is we try to teach you a little bit more of the math to get ready for the test,” Says JP Blin, the head manager of the plumbing program and full time instructor, “It’s a benefit for us letting you guys know this exists, and for you guys, it gives you a foot in where you wouldn’t know where or how to even start.” Plumbing is one of the most respected trades out there, combining intricate math and cognitive skills in order to protect the health of the nation. But the challenge brings joy and pride in your work and many can agree, “I really don’t see myself being in any other career, and I think that’s the kind of ideal position to be at my age, even though I’m just 24, but having that mental clarity, to be at peace, knowing that what I’m doing is what I love, keeps me going. It’s important to not be regretful of what you do, and that mindset carried me far in this career,” says Alex, program instructor and sub-foreman.
Apart from being a respected trade, plumbers make a great living with great hourly pay, top of the line paid health insurance, excellent retirement plans, and debt-free training to get you there. All of these benefits are built on top of your hourly pay, making saving for health insurance and retirement a breeze. “Knowing that I had some type of financial security and knowing that there was something for my daughter if something did happen to me in life, that’s what kept me going the majority of the time,” says Robin Roccasalva, a female foreman who started her career in 2003. But even with these great benefits, plumbers are still in extremely high demand with experienced workers retiring and new infrastructure demands. “You can’t go on an app to build a house. If you have no water in your house or no electricity, you can’t just go on an app and fix it. You need skilled people to do this type of work,” she claims.
The plumbers bridge program this year has been going smoothly for our Leyden students, working on skills such as using basic tools commonly used on the jobsite, general trades and plumbing specific math, and working with various types of pipe. Erick Ferrer, a senior at East Leyden says, “My experience in the Plumbers Bridge Program was amazing! We learned the basics of how a plumber works on the field and learns in the classroom. Many tools were at our disposal to cut materials provided on the job site like PVC pipe, copper pipe, and more.” Another student from West Leyden, Dominic De La Cruz, said, “My experience in the program was honestly great. Trades related math is probably one of the most important things we learned in the program, along with reading blueprints, and glueing and cutting pipes. But really it’s more than just learning the specific skills but instead the important math and thinking behind it. In the end I really expanded my knowledge and I’m really grateful for that.” Applications open early September with an email from Mr. Holthouse with more information. The trades are a great living and by no means below a college degree, so do not feel discouraged to try the program out. From plumbers all around the facility swearing how much they love their jobs, to the students having great experiences, there is no going wrong.
