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Plumbers Can Now Add Green Accreditation to Resumes

January 25, 2008  |  from Construction Jobs Blog

A little earlier this month, it was officially announced that the highly acclaimed GreenPlumber program is debuting in America. After generating huge amounts of interest in the program and successfully reducing water consumption in Australia, GreenPlumber is opening its doors to American plumbers through training and accreditation programs run by the PHCC (Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors of California) Education Foundation.

Statistics indicate that water usage has increased at twice the rate of the population, and a significant number of states anticipate freshwater shortages in the next 10 years. “GreenPlumbers is an accreditation program that trains plumbers in water conservation and climate care issues,” said Stephen Lehtonen, spokesperson for GreenPlumbersUSA. “The program is designed to help save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

And the program has been successful, at least in Australia. Since its beginning in 2001, more than 5,000 Green Plumbers have been accredited, representing more than 2,300 Australian businesses. Thanks in part to their efforts, water consumption in Australia has been cut in half from its 1990 levels.

In 2008, GreenPlumbersUSA hopes to train and accredit 8,000 Green Plumbers. Lehtonen said, “In the next 10 years we plan to train 15,000 green plumbers in California and 40,000 nationally.” The program has received wide support and encouragement from environmentalists and green builders around the nation.

In light of the green building trend sweeping the nation, opportunities like this may end up being worth their weight in gold for plumbers (quite literally!). As the demand for qualified green building specialists increases, the tangible evidence of your expertise as a plumber knowledgeable in green building practices will make you a competitive candidate for the best paying positions. Furthermore, GreenPlumbersUSA is hoping to keep their training programs on a “no-fee basis,” with program funding instead coming through “government, agency, utility and manufacturer partnerships.”

Visit GreenPlumberUSA to learn more.

Filed: Career Green-Construction