- Who sponsors the program?
Plumbers and Steamfitters LU 486 Membership and the Mechanical
Contractors' Association of Maryland, Inc.
- What does it cost to participate in the
program?
There is NO cost to participate, if selected for training, other
than the purchase of instructional manuals used during your 5
years of training.
You are required to pay union dues once you have been placed on
the job site for one of our participating contractors.
- How long does it take to complete the
program?
Five years.
- Where will I attend classes?
At the Plumbers/Steamfitters' Training Facility, 1201 66th Street,
Baltimore Co., Rosedale, Maryland, 21237, OR at the James Rumsey
Technical Institute, 3274 Hedgesville Road, Martinsburg, West
Virginia, 25401.
- How many evenings per week and what time
are classes held?
Two, which are held on Mondays and Wednesdays, or Tuesdays and
Thursdays, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. You may
be required to attend a few Saturday classes between the hours
of 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. depending upon your year/group class
schedule.
- When do classes begin?
Classes begin in September of each year and usually end in June
of the following year like the public school system.
- Where will I be working and for whom?
You will be employed by one of the participating contractors signatory
to an Agreement with Plumbers/Steamfitters LU 486 as jobs become
available. LU 486's work jurisdiction is Baltimore City and surrounding
counties and also includes the Hagerstown and Frederick area.
You are required to work 8 hours per day, 5 days a week usually
between the hours of 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. You will need your
own transportation to get to and from the job site.
- Who will place me on the job site?
The training director, Allen B. Clinedinst III.
- What type of work will I be performing?
Plumber and Steamfitter Apprentices and Journeyman install piping
in buildings, industry, schools, hospitals, etc. Additionally,
they install and service heating and cooling systems and do their
own control work. They also do their own welding. A Plumber/Steamfitter
also installs and repairs pipe, fittings and fixtures of hot and
cold water, vacuum, oxygen, gas and drainage systems. They also
do layout of pipe and pipe connections and provide openings for
pipes in walls and floors. They cut and thread pipe using pipe
cutters, cutting torches, and pipe threading machines.
- What licensing and certifications
may I obtain during the 5 years of apprenticeship training?
LICENSES:
a. State of Maryland Plumbing License.
b. State of Maryland HVACR License.
c. Gasfitters' License.
d. Stationary Engineers' License.
CERTIFICATIONS/QUALIFICATIONS:
a. Medical Gas Certification.
b. Backflow Certification.
c. CFC Qualification.
d. Welding Qualification.
e. Ten hour OSHA Certification including "Right to Know Law."
f. Confined Space Certification.
g. CPR Certification.
h. Standard First Aid Certification.
i. Valve Repair Certification.
- How do I apply for your apprenticeship
program?
Contact the school's office for an information packet. A sample
math test is included in the packet for your review and study.
A 70% or higher score must be obtained on the math test to have
your application processed by the Joint Apprenticeship Committee.
It is important that you study the "sample
math test" prior to your appointment to sit for the actual
test.
- What are the requirements for entrance
to LU 486's Apprenticeship Program?
Appear in person at the training school, 1201 66th Street,
to fill out an application.
Take the basic math test when scheduled by the school's
office. Achieve a 70% score, or higher, on the math test to have
your application processed.
Provide a copy of your high school transcript or a copy
of your GED Certificate with scores attached.
Submit to our office the three personal reference forms
that you receive from the school's office after they have been
filled out by either a former employer or an acquaintance. The
Apprenticeship Committee prefers that you do not use relatives
as personal references.
Appear in person for a "personal interview" by
the Joint Apprenticeship Committee on the date that has been scheduled
for you.
- How does the Joint Apprenticeship
Committee determine who will be permitted to participate in the
program?
When you appear before the Joint Apprenticeship Committee for
your personal interview, your application, math score and high
school transcript or GED scores will be reviewed. If you have
taken math and science subjects in high school, you will receive
extra bonus points. The committee compiles an overall score for
each applicant that qualifies for an interview. They are then
placed on an eligibility list. After all qualified applicants
have been interviewed, a selection is made by the Apprenticeship
Committee from the eligibility list from the highest score, downward.
Job opportunities dictate the number of applicants selected for
training.
- What is an apprentice's starting hourly
wage?
An apprentice's starting hourly wage rate is 50% of LU 486 Journeyman
Scale which is $34.195 through March 31, 2009.
1st Year - 50% - $17.098
2nd Year - 55% - $18.807
3rd Year - 65% - $22.227
4th Year - 75% - $25.646
5th Year - 80% - $27.356
- What are the benefits for an apprentice?
1st Year - Medical plan for you and your family after qualifying.
To qualify, you must work 250 hours during a work quarter before
medical insurance is purchased for you during the next insurance
quarter. You will also receive a pension benefit.
2nd - 5th Year - Medical for you and your family, pension
and annuity.
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