Lethbridge College has welcomed back its plumbing apprentice program. Tawnya Plain Eagle went to find out more about what the long awaited program has in store for students.

The plumbing apprenticeship program offers students the opportunity to get hands on training.

Student Rory McKeown was employed as a commercial plumber in Lethbridge. Recently enrolled in the new program McKeown says he’s learning the proper way to handle plumbing techqiques.

“There are times when you learn not necessary the right way to do it, but the quickest way to do it,” said McKeown

Learning to be more efficient while on the job is among many things McKeown expects to take away from this program.

Jeremy Bridge the instructor for the program says it starts off with eight weeks of training, where students learn the basics of plumbing.

He adds first year outcomes include mastery of testing gas lines, burning pressures and even basic family bathroom experience.

“There’s a lot of different types of joining methods for different types of material that we as plumbers would use on a daily basis,” said Bridge.

McKeown says a lot of his time spent out in the field was learning the how-to aspect. Now that he’s in school, he’s learning the importance of the why’s.

“You cant just do the job and walk away, there is consequences to doing the job poorly. So we are going to do the job right the first time,” said McKeown.

McKeown believes his previous experience will be an asset. Now, his education can only help make him a better professional.

According to Bridge, with the plumbing industry being so large, the program trains its students in all categories so that when it comes time to seek work the individual will understand every aspect of the field.