Plumbers pipe up enthusiastically about apprenticeship program By LAURA POLLAND
The Plumbers and Fitters Local Union 41 in Great Falls offers classroom instruction for apprentices 27 Saturdays a year. Topics include a heritage program, math and science, building and plumbing code, isometric drawing and drafting and care of tools. There are eight apprentices in the program.
'The industry has changed quite a bit,' said John Pejko, business agent with Local 41. 'It never stops.' The union also offers continuing education for licensed plumbers.
Nonunion apprentices turn to out-of-state courses. Waldenberg said that many Montanans who go to North Dakota for training end up staying there. Even with correspondence courses, resources are going out of the state, he added. Last year, around 400 Montana apprentices in various fields ordered some 990 courses from North Dakota because they were not available in Montana.