Skills Shortages in Plumbing and Irrigation
Water is something we all need but often take for granted. It takes certain skills to manage water though and those skills are increasingly in short supply.
Water supply and management is one of our most critical needs. Without properly installed and maintained water reticulation, we don’t have water to drink, wash, cook with, flush toilets, grow crops, farm livestock, cool power stations and factories, and a whole lot more.
Plumbers, drainers, irrigation designers and irrigation technicians are all listed as “Occupations in Demand” in Australia. Plumbers are increasingly in short supply in other countries - such as the UK - due to an aging workforce and decreasing entrants into the trade.
The legal requirement to do plumbing work varies from one country to another; but it is common for any complex plumbing work to require registration which can only be acquired through a lengthy apprenticeship working alongside an already registered tradesman. Certain simpler plumbing jobs however can often be carried out legally without a licence (eg. changing a washer, cleaning a drain).
Other vocations that deal with water such as drainage work and irrigation may be regulated in some countries for certain more complex jobs but may be unregulated for other jobs. When moving water though, whether to irrigate a garden or farm; or to mitigate flood risks, it is very important that you know and understand what you are doing.
Water supply and removal can be very important to almost every industry you can imagine, from land management to property development, construction, manufacturing and waste management. Clearly certified tradesmen are only needed for certain jobs at certain times, but between those times, others should have understanding and awareness of all of the issues associated with maintenance and use of water resources, supply, and removal in their own particular circumstances.
With increased difficulty in finding a plumber or water technician, it is becoming increasingly important for others (not qualified plumbers) to know more about water management.
Plumbing skills shortages that are building every year are not so much because no one is starting an apprenticeship but more because many of those who start an apprenticeship don’t complete it. Part of the solution to this may be for more people to do a “taster” course before entering an apprenticeship, so that they have a better understanding of what might be ahead, before starting down that lengthy path of becoming a certified tradesman. That way, students don’t waste time learning something they will never be able to legally use. Teachers and employers do not waste their time and money investing in a “wanna be” plumber who walks away disillusioned after the first year or two. Taster courses and better selection of applicants may be a very good step toward improving skills shortages.
The ACS Plumbing Course can
a/ provide skills to do simpler jobs that don’t require a licence thus reducing the times you need to call in a plumber
b/ provide an aspiring plumber with a taste of what might be involved – allowing them to make a more enlightened decision about working toward registration
c/ provide a foundation so they can learn faster, easier, more in depth; and be more useful to an employer if they pursue a plumbing career
d/ raise knowledge and awareness of plumbing work so construction managers/supervisors; building managers etc. can work in more informed ways with plumbers.