Pipefitter

lga Sanchez was a single mother with two young children in 1988 when she

faced a stark choice: continue working at the factory in Avon Lake where she was earning $5 an hour after being employed there for 10 years, or become a skilled tradeswoman to secure a brighter financial future.

“My brother was a pipefitter with the local union and he told me they were taking applications for apprentices,” she said. “I had two kids. I was divorced. I needed to increase my income.”

Sanchez was accepted into the five- year apprenticeship program through the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 42 in Norwalk and has been working as a skilled tradeswoman ever since.

“It was a good decision,” she said. “I enjoy working with the different aspects of piping and the pay is good. I wouldn’t have been able to raise my family without this work. I was making $5 an hour after 10 years at the factory and it closed anyway.”

But anyone who decides to apply for and is accepted into the apprenticeship program should be ready to work and study hard. Sanchez said she worked at various job sites through the union while in the program and went to classes two nights a week to learn a host of skills from plumbing to pipefitting.

“It’s a lot of work. It’s not just one class, it’s dozens of classes and tests,” she said. “Some classes last a couple weeks to a month and cover different aspects of the industry like how to weld, how to burn, hydraulics, plumbing. They show you every aspect you can think of if it has to do with piping.”

When she started, apprentices earned 45 percent of a journeyman’s wage. The current journeyman’s wage is about $25 an hour, so that would be substantially more than minimum wage in today’s dollars. Apprentices also earned 5 percent raises every six months during the five-year program, Sanchez said.

The work through the union office has been steady, Sanchez said, and the union also provides health benefits coverage and pension savings for its skilled trades workforce. Sanchez said she has worked on such diverse jobs as installing the piping at the Mansfield Reformatory state prison to pipe work performed at Jacobs Field in Cleveland.

She also regularly works jobs in other parts of the state and can work as a journeyman steamfitter anywhere in

This information is derived from careful research and ongoing feedback from Lorain County employers. Empowered with this knowledge, it is up to all of us to create a vibrant and productive workforce for the county.

Do You Like...

Kind of Work You Can Expect RELATED OCCUPATIONS

Pipelayers Boilermakers

Welders and Cutters Heating,

Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration

Mechanics and Installers Sheet Metal

Workers Millwrights Electricians U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition

Occupational Information Network, O*NET OnLine, http://

online.onetcenter.org/

the country through the national union. One regular job has been the Sun Oil Refinery in Toledo. “A refinery is all piping,” she said. “We take the pipes apart and drain them regularly and rebuild as part of the ongoing maintenance.”

Sanchez said she likes the diversity in the job sites. “It’s never the same thing like a factory, the same thing over and over. I like the fact that you have to use your mind to figure things out.”

Basic math, geometry and trigonometry and being

capable of learning to read diagrams and blueprints are important skills for anyone considering the apprenticeship program, she said. It’s also important to be fit and drug- free because there are regular and random drug tests throughout the apprenticeship.

There are more than 40 different

O

Occupational Information Network, O*NET OnLine, http:online.onetcenter.org/

topics during the classroom instruction and nearly as many different specialties and job skills for union members. Some jobs require state licenses and some local cities require plumbers to be licensed, she said.

Sanchez, who is from Lorain and graduated from Southview High School in 1977, said Local 42 has about 300 members, and about 10 or so of those members are female. But women should consider the field, she said, because the pay is good and the work is steady.

It’s also not backbreaking physical labor, she said, and it’s perfectly suited to females. “You use your head to figure things out,” she said.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Projections to 2014

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Office of Research, Assessment and Accountability, Job Outlook to 2012: Northern Ohio -

Economic Development Region 8 (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain Counties)

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Office of Research, Assessment and Accountability, Ohio Job Outlook to 2012

Total Job Openings

2004 2014 Change in Percent Due to Growth Annual Projected Employment Change & Turnover

Employment Employment 2004-2014 2004-2014 2004-2014

499,000 577,000 78,000 15.7 % 193,000

20 ,770 23,600 2,830 13.6 % 7,610

3,020 3,400 380 12.6 % 1,070

NATIONAL

Job Openings

OHIO

REGION

To find past profile pages visit www.chroniclet.com, click on: Newspaper in Education and then click on Career Pages.

Career Profile Coming March 14, 2006: Construction Manager

Expectations & Opportunities

STEPS TO SUCCESS Minimum Education Most occupations require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate’s degree.

Occupational Information Network, O*NET OnLine, http://online.onetcenter.org/

Educational/Training Level


High School or less 67%

Some College 29%

Bachelor’s Degree or higher 4%

Percentage of Respondents Educational Level Attained

Basic or Core Abilities You Will Need

Basic Skill Requirements


• Plans pipe system layout, installation, or repair according to specifications.

• Assembles pipe sections, tubing and fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, solder, plastic solvent, and caulking.

• Repairs and maintains plumbing by replacing or mending broken pipes, and opening clogged drains.

• Installs pipe assemblies, fittings, valves, appliances such as dishwashers and water heaters, and fixtures such as sinks and toilets, using hand and power tools.

• Studies building plans and inspects structure to assess material and equipment needs, to establish the sequence of pipe installations, and to plan installation around obstructions such as electrical wiring.

• Cuts openings in structures to accommodate pipes and pipe fittings.

• Locates and marks the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, and fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers and levels.

• Measures, cuts, threads, and bends pipe to required angle, using pipe cutters, pipe-threading machines, and pipe-bending machines.

• Inspects, examines, and tests installed systems and pipe lines, using pressure gauge, hydrostatic testing, observation, or other methods.

• Directs workers engaged in pipe cutting and installation of plumbing systems and components.

● ● ● ● ●

“Basic math, geometry and trigonometry

and being capable of learning to read diagrams

and blueprints are important skills for anyone considering the apprenticeship

program.”

● ● ● ● ●

• Dealing with real-world materials such as wood, tools, and machinery • Work activities that include

practical, hands-on problems and solutions

• Searching for facts and figuring out problems

• Enjoying outside work • Jobs that let you use

your best abilities • Work where you can see the

results of your efforts and have a feeling of accomplishment

Pipefitter, Olga Sanchez, member of Local 42 Plumbers & Steamfitters union.

Most residential and industrial plumbers get their training in career and technical schools and community colleges and from on-the-job training. Plumbers and pipefitters who work mainly for commercial enterprises are usually trained through formal apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeships–both union and nonunion–consist of 4 or 5 years of on-the-job training, in addition to at least 144 hours per year of related classroom instruction. In Northeast Ohio the following union apprenticeship programs are available.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook,

2006-07 Edition

Training Opportunities

LORAIN COUNTY JVS HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM Plumbing and Pipefitting Gary Kuebbeler & David Keller, Recruiters, (440) 774-1051 www.lcjvs.com

LORAIN COUNTY JVS ADULT CAREER CENTER Building Trades Specialist Program 440-774-1051, Ext. 250 www.loraincounty.com/JVSadult

Technical Skills and Knowledge You Will Need to Develop

Plumbing and Pipefitting: • Can apply technical knowledge and

skills to lay out, assemble, install, and maintain piping fixtures and piping systems for steam, hot water, heating, cooling, drainage, lubricating, sprinkling, and industrial processing systems. This includes knowledge in material selection and use of tools to cut, bend, join, and weld pipes.

Mechanical: • Knowledge of machines and tools,

including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Building and Construction: • Knowledge of materials, methods,

and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures.

Design/Blueprint Reading: • Knowledge of design techniques and

principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models. Ability to understand and use basic blueprint

terminology and commonly used abbreviations.

Physical Abilities / Manual Dexterity: • Must be in good health condition in order to bend, stretch, walk, climb, and crawl around in tight spaces. Ability to quickly make coordinated movements of one hand or two hands to grasp,

manipulate, or assemble objects. Ability to see details of objects at a close range.

Workplace Safety: • Maintain a clean and safe work

environment. Comply with established safety practices, wear proper protective devices such as safety glasses and gloves, and operate equipment in a safe and prescribed manner.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2004 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2004 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Staristics, Nov. 2004 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Labor Market Information, 2003

Occupational Wage Data, Updated to 3rd Quarter 2004.

National $44,510/yr. ($21.40/hr)

Ohio $44,920/yr. ($21.60/hr)

Cleveland-Lorain- Elyria PMSA $48,740/yr. ($23.43/hr)

Earning Potential

Basic Academic Skills: Reading & Writing Skills: Can read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Provide information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Math Skills: Add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.

Communication Skills: Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.


Apprenticeship Contact Program Person Phone

Northeast Ohio Plumbers #55 Sean Greller 216-459-2900

Pipefitters #120 Terry Urbanek 216-524-8334

Union Apprenticeship Programs

Workplace Success Skills

• Knowing How to Learn

Thinking Skills

• Decision Making • Problem Solving

Basic Academic Skills

• Reading & Writing Skills • Communication Skills • Math Skills

Core Abilities

• Teamwork Skills • Customer Service

Orientation

Interpersonal Skills

Occupational Information Network, O*NET OnLine, http:/online.onetcenter.org/

Plumbers and Pipefitters

Documents

Pipefitter