Plumbers and Pipefitters

Plumbers install, remodel and maintain systems that carry water, steam, air and other liquids or gases necessary for sanitation, industrial production, heating, air conditioning and many other systems. Plumbers measure, cut and bend pipe, as well as weld, braze, caulk, solder, glue or thread joints at residential, commercial and industrial job sites. Recently, the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union has been training members to meet growing employment demand in pipeline construction.

Skills include: numeracy; significant use of memory; working with others; on-the-job variety; working with your hands and machines; disciplined and precise; ability to visualize detailed structures from drawings; and dealing with people.

Although available certification is voluntary in Manitoba, it is highly recommended. Certification helps you get jobs by telling employers and other workers that you are a skilled professional.

To be certified as a Plumber, you usually need to complete a four-year apprenticeship program. Once you successfully complete the required on-the-job training, technical training and exams, you are awarded a journeyperson certificate.

You may be eligible for certification if you have more than five years of construction experience and some high school, college or industry courses in plumbing.

As a certified Plumber, you may write the Interprovincial Exam to qualify for the Interprovincial Standards’ Red Seal. With a Red Seal, you can work as a Plumber anywhere in Canada.

To ensure your skills are current as a Plumber, you should keep up with new technological developments by reading and talking with others in the field.