A United Association Apprenticeship

If you’re thinking about entering the plumbing profession, consider going through the apprenticeship route with the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada.

Their program, the United Association apprenticeship, lasts five years in length and is a way to gain valuable classroom experience as well as on the job training. The United Association apprenticeship requires 1,700 to 2,000 hours of on the job training and at least 216 hours of classroom instruction. You’ll advance towards becoming a journeyman through five one-year segments of plumbing apprenticeship.

As a journeyman, you’ll be a full-fledged plumbing professional, but don’t expect your training to end there. The United Association expects learning for the plumbing professional to be a lifelong process. You might spend the day installing the sprinkler system for a commercial building and then go to a class in the evening to learn how to use the latest edition of drafting software.