The Office of Economic Development at SRTC-Bainbridge recently recognized its first cohort of Professional Plumbing graduates. The program began April 13 with online sessions, and featured hands-on, in-person labs throughout the course. With online and in-person classes scheduled on nights and weekends, this class was designed to meet the needs of busy professionals, according to Economic Development Director Susanne Reynolds. In addition to instruction and training in Plumbing, the 160-hour program included supplementary Forklift Certification and First Aid + CPR + Heartsaver AED certification training. The program concluded August 5.
The Plumbing Professional program was designed to introduce trainees to installation, maintenance, and repair of many different types of pipe systems. Instructors Dennis Miller and Leonard DeMarco taught the trainees a range of topics including plumbing safety, tools of the plumbing trade, plumbing math, plumbing drawings, plastic pipe and fittings, copper tube and fittings, cast-iron pipe and fittings, carbon steel pipe and fittings, plumbing fixtures, DWV (drain, waste, and vent) systems, and water distribution systems.
Participant Todd Hand said, “The Plumbing Professional program was instrumental in introducing the basic and intermediate principles of the plumbing trade. I really enjoyed the in-person labs because we were able to get a feel for the tools and techniques that were taught in the online course. My plan is to help friends and family with simple plumbing tasks, and eventually become certified as a master plumber.”
The next Plumbing Professional program will begin in January of 2022. The class will meet in a virtual classroom on Monday and Wednesday evenings through April 27, and will meet for eight hands-on labs at SRTC-Bainbridge on Saturdays. While this program is not eligible for traditional financial aid, funding may be available for participants who qualify.
For more information about the upcoming Plumbing Professionals course, please contact Susanne Reynolds, Director of Economic Development at SRTC-Bainbridge by calling (229) 243-3011 or emailing sreynolds@southernregional.edu. Information and registration may also be found by visiting https://southernregional.edu/economic-development.