Skillpoint Alliance, a Central Texas nonprofit organization that offers free, hands-on training and education programs in the skilled trades; construction; maintenance; and manufacturing, announced Thursday that it is now accepting applications for a Pre-Apprentice Plumbing program that will begin on October 25, 2021. Central Texas is experiencing a 22% increase in new home construction, with 6,664 new homes being built and needing plumbing in the first three months of this year alone.
The 160-hour training course prepares participants for work as entry-level Plumbing Apprentices, the nonprofit said. Students will learn plumbing and construction math, safety, the proper handling of power tools, as well as the difference between various types of pipe, as well as and how to effectively build a drain-waste-vent system.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “51,000 openings for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are projected each year,” with the demand for plumbers stemming from “new construction and from the need to maintain and repair plumbing systems in existing residences and other buildings.”
“The Building Construction Trades grant has given us the opportunity to provide the Pre-Apprentice Plumbing program free of charge to participants,” said Skillpoint Alliance director Kevin Brackmeyer. “This program prepares students for in-demand jobs in the construction field, a lucrative industry here in Central Texas.”
Participants obtain their OSHA-10 certification during the program, along with assistance to obtain their Plumber’s Apprentice License from the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration/Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners.
To apply for the program,visit https://skillpointalliance.org/application/
