It’s sort of a joke about plumbers but I’ve met and worked with enough plumbers to know they say it too “Don’t bite your nails!” I’ll let you think about it for a few paragraphs.

Apprentice Programs

The first day of plumbing school might be in shop class at the local high school. It used to be a popular practice to introduce students to artisan trades in the first or second year of high school. Not too sophisticated, the main idea was to give a sampling of potential workplace and career paths.

Of course, in those days it was assumed that if you didn’t have ‘what it takes’ to go to college, you better get a good trade under your belt and hold on for dear life. Apprentice programs have been around for a long time, having their appearance in feudal times right through to recent history. It is no longer indentured servitude; still, an apprenticeship program does not offer much glamour.

Typically, apprenticeship programs are designed to deliver useful trade knowledge in a step by step experiential manner over a specified period of work and training – you can call it plumbing school but it’s really on the job training.

Journeyman Plumber

Now, if you want to become a journeyman plumber right out of the shoot, there are plumbing schools that provide the training. Community colleges took the basic idea of trade schools and put the concept into a campus setting. Academics was expanded, including the study of Uniform Building Code and Uniform Plumbing Code.

Next, retired plumbers and building inspectors entered the classroom and voila – you now have a plumbing school. I don’t know of a BS in Plumbing yet, but there might be one offered online. The achievement of a working level of plumbing knowledge – proven to state certification and licensing requirements – this is what it means to be a journeyman plumber.

Relationship Of A Master Plumber

It is logical to assume that the head of a plumbing school is or was a master plumber at some time in his career, but that may not be the case. Proficiency in the skills of the trade is one part that every licensed plumber must prove. Additionally, in a modern plumbing school, there are a multitude of life skills to be learned, dealing with business acumen, computer design, even taxes and ethics training.

It’s not just a B track for slow learners anymore.