After Mike Bloomberg, the outspoken mayor of New York City, offered advice on a weekly radio show for college graduates to skip college and consider plumbing, it wouldn't hurt if you looked at the facts and figures and see if he actually has a point or not. Well, plumbers do actually earn a whopping income and unlike what most people assume, plumbers not only fix leaky water pipes, they work on any type of pipe through which liquid or gas flows. Their skills include fixing leaky faucets to installing complex installations in a commercial project. So, are you thinking of skipping college and becoming a plumber? Here is everything you need to know about how to be a plumber. College Education Required to Become a Plumber: Make no mistake; the plumbing industry has become very competitive. It is very hard to join unions and get apprenticeships. Although you don't need to take huge college loans and earn an expensive college degree to become a plumber, you do need a high school diploma and a good score in the Math section of ACT. Employers these days look for people who are good at Math, Geometry and Metric system. Also, you may need to take some college courses focused towards plumbing. These courses will give you an edge when applying for an apprenticeship programs. Due to the high amount of applications, apprenticeship programs have become really competitive and it is difficult to get into one without high school graduation and vocational plumbing courses. Join an Apprenticeship Program: This is the first and the most important step you need to take when you want to become a plumber. Look for a local plumber's union and apply to join an apprenticeship program. It is not easy to get enrolled into one but with high school graduation and college vocational courses, you can increase your odds. You will have to apply via a written application and take their aptitude test, if required. A high school graduation is required and the applicant must be of 18 years of age. Plus, a high score in the Math section of the ACT will give you an edge over hundreds of other applications. Apart from this, you will need a clean driving record, a driver's license, drug test, and no criminal record. In case you don't get accepted for an apprenticeship program at your local plumbers' union, you may look for master plumbers in your local area who are running their own businesses and ask them if they would to take you on as an apprentice. Apprenticeship programs, spanning 4 - 5 years, offer the best of training. While college courses are good for obtaining a base of knowledge but the kind of training and hands-on experience you get in an apprenticeship program is second to none. You will need to meet a minimum number of field experience hours to qualify for a journeyman plumber so it's essential to log your apprentice hours. You are also required to have a minimum of 144 hours of classroom hours besides your apprentice hours. This classroom study will be closely related to your on-the-job training. Most unions provide classroom programs along with training but if they don't, you will have to look yourself for some accredited college course related to plumbing. Become a Journeyman Plumber: The next step is to finally reap the benefits of your hard work as an apprentice. When you have completed your apprenticeship hours and classroom hours, it is time to register for a state journeyman plumber's exam. By this time, you will have extensive knowledge about plumbing and you should be well prepared for the exam. To register for the exam, you will need an affidavit by the master plumber you were working as an apprentice for, confirming the apprenticeship hours you worked along with his plumber certificate number. When you have registered for the exam, you should look at some practice tests, study prep materials and exam guides. After you have cleared your journeyman plumber's exam, you are officially a journeyman plumber. Journeymen plumbers work under the eye of a master plumber but unlike apprentices, they can now work independently. The number of field experience years required for the journeyman plumber to become a master plumber varies in every state. Determine what your state requires. Become a Master Plumber: The ultimate goal of any aspiring plumber is to become a master plumber. To achieve that level, you need to work as a journeyman plumber for the time required by your licensing state. After that, you need an affidavit from the master plumber you were working as a journeyman for, confirming the number of years you worked as a journeyman. Then, you can register for the state examination for becoming a master plumber and obtain your license by clearing the examination. As a master plumber, you can now start your own business and work as a contractor. This is when you can dramatically increase your earnings. As an apprentice and journeyman, you learn to read blueprints but as a master plumber, you can create your own blueprints for plumbing installations. You can work on residential projects to fix leaky pipes, burst geysers, etc. or take on huge commercial projects for installing the entire building's gas and water pipe lines. You can further specialize in the plumbing field like in the installation of solar heating systems and water heaters. Continuing your education can give you an edge over other contractors in your area. Career Opportunities you can enjoy as a Plumber: Despite the image of a man in low rise pants who crawls under your kitchen sink to fix your leaky pipes, being a plumber means you can enjoy a great career growth of 26% from 2010 till 2020 unlike other opportunities that only have a predicted growth of 16%. This staggering growth rate is due to the predicted growth in population. The growing population will require more buildings for living, working and playing, which presents an opportunity for more plumbing work. Fore more information about Accelerated Degree, please visit http://www.jobtrainingplace.com/education-and-training/construction-training /how-to-become-plumber/.
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