We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.

logo
  • Engineers & Specifiers
  • Contractors & Installers
  • Wholesalers & Distributors
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Subscription
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • PRODUCTS
    • Bath & Kitchen
    • Fire Protection
    • HVAC
    • Hydronics/Radiant
    • Plumbing
    • PVF
    • Tools
  • PROJECTS
    • Commercial
    • Green Building
    • MRO/Retrofit
    • Remodeling
    • Residential
  • HOW TO
    • Design
    • Fire Protection
    • Legal Matters
    • Management
  • BUSINESS
    • Buying Groups
    • Technology
    • Associations
  • CODES & STANDARDS
    • ANSI
    • ASHRAE
    • ASSE
    • Regulations
    • Green Building
    • IAPMO
    • ICC
    • NFPA
  • RESOURCES
    • PROS REPS
    • Media Kit
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Classifieds
    • Digital Editions
    • Behind the Wall
    • Webinars
    • AHR Live 2023
  • PODCASTS
  • DIGITAL EDITIONS
Home » Plumbers Local 130 to Open Training Center in Chicago

Plumbers Local 130 to Open Training Center in Chicago

August 8, 2017
August 2017 News Local 130

With a plan to open in September of this year, the new 50,000-square-foot Plumbers Local 130 Training Center aims to train tomorrow’s plumbers with real-world scenarios.

Apprentices learn how harvesting rainwater saves precious water. Harvesting tanks monitor how much water is being used within the building and how much water is being saved. The water is then recycled throughout the building as a responsible water conservation technique. Harvesting rainwater teaches apprentices this green technology that will help solve the world’s water shortages.

“Greywater” is also harvested from drinking fountains, showers and wash sinks, and used throughout the building as one more water conservation technique, while teaching apprentices methods of installation.

The green roof and multi-purpose room that overlook the Chicago skyline contain solar panels for students to learn solar technologies. Every room, nook and cranny of the training center is designed with a specific purpose. Its closets line the hallways. Labs with exposed piping and mirrors show students what goes on behind the walls.

A large underground pit filled with stone will teach apprentices how to dig through rock beds to install pipe, just like they would do on a jobsite. Three-story ceilings allow space for a three-ton crane so apprentices can learn how to rig properly. There’s space for 40 people to work with lifts at the same time and 20 welding booths to accommodate the 20-student welding, soldering and brazing classes.

Local 130 Business Manager James Coyne says that the Joint Apprenticeship Committee trustees worked with Gensler Architects to create the building that will prepare plumbing apprentices for high-tech careers well into the future.

“They really listened to our needs,” Coyne said. “Our building isn’t just beautiful; it’s also practical and flexible for the future. Our students, as well as our journeymen, are using technology for diagnostics and measurement. And, of course, they’re being taught AutoCAD and new software programs. Plumbing isn’t what it used to be so it’s fantastic that our building is adaptable and able to keep up with ongoing technology and equipment upgrades.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the plumbing industry is growing at a rate of 12 percent per year, with average salaries for experienced journeymen at $50+ per hour in the Chicago market. Apprentices make $16.75 an hour their first year, rising to $36.95 an hour in their fifth year of training. Apprenticeships have increased by 400 students at the Local 130 JAC Training Center over the past three years, with 20 women currently enrolled in the program. Three new instructors have been hired to keep up with the dramatic increases in apprenticeship enrollment.

Students are in the classroom one day per week for three years. They read about plumbing processes, then walk across the hall to a wet lab and practice what they’ve learned. When they get to the jobsite, where they work with a contractor, they have had the experience of performing the skills they need, hands on.

Today’s plumbers work with the latest technology, like augmented reality and virtual reality, relying on mobile devices for updated information and fleet management. It’s a very different career than in the past. And it all starts with the union’s five-year training program — unmatched by any other and taught in a facility that matches the new, high-tech plumbing industry.

Visit www.plumberslu130ua.org 

Contractors & Installers Green Building Millennials Plumber Plumbing Training & Education Water Conservation Water Quality
  • Related Articles

    New Plumbers 130 Training Center to Train Students for High-Tech Careers in Plumbing​

    Plumbers Local 130 Opens New Training Center

    Plumbers Local 130 Opens New Training Center

  • Related Events

    Women in Energy Webinar Wednesdays

Most Popular

  • Uponor Celebrates Grand Opening of New Experience Center

  • Avoiding Mistakes When Installing Non-Metallic Plumbing Systems

  • Carrier Launches New Indianapolis Technical Training Center to Address HVAC Technician Shortage

  • Building a Company Through Teamwork and the Next Generation

Featured Video

Dan video 4

Dan Foley on U.S. Boiler Company's Alta Boiler: Ease of Service

Industry Events

  • 05Oct

    PVF Roundtable TroutBlast Fishing Tournament

  • 08Oct

    2023 SFPE Annual Conference & Expo

    North Bethesda, MD
  • 09Oct

    2023 AD PHCP North American Meeting

    Phoenix, AZ
More Events

Subscribe to our newsletters & stay updated

Subscribe & Learn More

  • Tw09 2023
    Learn More
  • Pe09 2023 cover
    Learn More
  • Phc09 2023 cover
    Learn More
  • Es 2022
    Learn More
Subscribe

More from PHCP Pros

  • Editorial Team
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Advertise

Follow Us

© 2023 All Rights Reserved

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development | ePublishing