Introduction to Plumbing
Plumbing is an integral part of our everyday lives. While it can be a physically demanding job, it can also come with high job satisfaction if you love to solve complex problems and work with your hands. Plumbing careers include activities installing, maintaining and repairing pipes.
Professional plumbing jobs include working with various mechanical systems that work to heat, cool, drain and ventilate, all sorts of contents such as sewerage, gas, and water. It’s a complex and constantly evolving industry, with room to grow and many opportunities for hard working, determined individuals.
Careers in Plumbing
The best way to start a career in plumbing is through a plumbing apprenticeship. This ensures you’re well versed in the necessary skills, tools, technologies, and knowledge needed to provide quality service to clients. Daily duties may include working alone, or with limited supervision, on systems as well as studying blueprints, liaising with clients, installing systems, and monitoring or troubleshooting existing systems.
There are also potential emergency jobs in plumbing with accidental issues or faulty systems failing which may need some professionals to be on-call 24/7. This is usually reserved for large corporate clients or the more experienced professionals. To gain a career in plumbing you will need to be certified, with the right plumbing qualifications. Whilst these change depending on which state you are in, a general rule is a completed Certificate III in Plumbing.
There are many plumbing job opportunities for well-educated and experienced plumbers including:
- Industrial plumber
- Drainer
- Gasfitter
- Roof plumber
The plumbing industry is set to have above average job opportunity growth, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics predicting almost 95,000 plumbers working across Australia by 2020.
Industry Outlook
There are many job opportunities in the plumbing industry. The average plumber salary is $52,000 annually, working an average of 40.5 hours a week. Demand has risen every year for the past five years and shows no signs of slowing down, with almost 90,000 professional plumbers working throughout Australia. A typical career begins with a plumber’s apprenticeship, and most plumbing jobs need some form of work experience as an apprentice.
These plumbing apprenticeships take between 4-5 years of combined training taking place both in classes and on-the-job practical experience. When fully qualified, 93.2% of all plumbers are on average 33 years old and work full time, with Victoria (29.3%), New South Wales (27.3%), and Queensland (20.6%) having the majority of plumbing professionals.
Plumbing Courses
There are many plumbing courses available if you wish to obtain your plumbing license or other plumbing qualifications. Whether you’re looking to undertake plumbing courses in Melbourne, Sydney, or elsewhere; there’s always an options to suit your needs, wants, and capacity. Regardless of if you’re a recent school leaver or a qualified professional looking to diversify your skillset; there are courses for you.
Certificate Courses
The best way to start off your career, or to quickly up skill your existing skillset is a Certificate course. As well as being required for most apprenticeship programs and licensing bodies they will provide you with a basic knowledge of the industry and introduce you to some of the theories and skills you will need to maintain a prosperous career.
Most plumbing Certificate courses will also introduce you to crucial skills ranging from customer service and liaison strategies to budgeting, pricing, and project monitoring. These are invaluable to your work and are a great stepping-stone to a rewarding plumbing apprenticeship and possibly small business ownership.
Diploma Courses
If you want to move into more speciality areas, or wish to progress onto a management and project coordination roles, a great choice is the Diploma of Plumbing. This will cover the more complicated topics and services such as air conditioning, fire services, and mechanical services related to plumbing and management of systems.
Graduates with these qualifications generally earn a higher wage and have access to a larger pool of potential career prospects. Some of these include jobs such as senior plumber, plumbing manager, fire services technician, and more. These courses are also a great way of ensuring you are well informed of the potential benefits and drawbacks that come with starting your own plumbing business.
Necessary Skills and Responsibilities
Those wanting a long and successful career in plumbing will need a varied skillset, as well as strong problem-solving abilities. You can’t be opposed to getting dirty or working long manual hours, as these are both essential in the plumbing industry. This requires good physical fitness, and the ability to work in varying conditions. In addition to these, you’ll also need skills such as logical thinking, flexibility, hand-eye coordination, judgement, and depending on your position, strong customer service and reporting abilities.
If this sounds like you, or someone who you would like to be, stop thinking and start acting! Find your dream career now by searching our courses in plumbing to find the perfect fit for you.
