Plumbing Journeyman Four-Year Apprenticeship Program

Course Information

The PHCC Academy of San Diego’s Journeyman Plumbing Apprenticeship Program is federally accredited by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship. Students are federally-registered apprentices. This four-year program required 156 hours of classroom instruction per year plus required students to achieve 2000 hours of On-the-Job training per year. By the end of the fourth year, students will have clocked at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and more than 600 hours of classroom and hands-on learning. Students must be employed by an actively licensed plumbing (C-36) contractor for the duration of the program.

As the Year 4 Final Exam, students are given the opportunity to take and pass the California PHCC Journey-Level Certification Exam, to ultimately earn their well-deserved PHCC Journeyman Card. OSHA-10 Certification Earned.

Journeyman Plumbing Year Curriculum Breakdown:

• Year 1 – Introduction to the plumbing trade (including history and career options); plumbing safety practices and procedures; common plumbing tools and materials; plumbing math and drawings; fittings with plastic pipe, copper tube, cast-iron, and steel pipe; basic plumbing code requirements; customer service; plumbing fixtures; and introduction to drain, waste, vent and water distribution systems.

• Year 2 – Service & Repair problems and solutions; residential and commercial installation of roof, floor, area drains, DWV piping, water supply piping, fixtures, valves and water heaters; job safety; plumbing math; local Code applications; reading commercial drawings; and introduction to welding, basic electricity, fuel gas and fuel oil systems.

• Year 3 – Applied math; isometric drawing; plan reading; residential and commercial installation practices; sizing water supply piping; potable water treatment; backflow preventers; types of venting; sizing DWV and storm systems; sewage pumps and sump pumps; corrosive-resistant water piping; compressed air; and job pre-planning, productivity, and profitability.

• Year 4 – Business principles; fundamentals of crew leadership; water pressure booster; special waste; hydronic and solar heating systems; ADA-compliance requirements; earthquake valve and seismic requirements; introduction to plumbing systems in swimming pools, hot tubs and mobile homes; introduction to medical gas and vacuum systems used in healthcare facilities; IAPMO Universal Plumbing Code; California Plumbing Code; Journey-Level Certification Exam.

2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR ENROLLMENT

Course Dates: August 2022 – June 2023

• Open Enrollment Begins – June 20th, 2021
• Entrance Exams – In-Person and by appointment
  • June thru August 2022
  • $50 testing fee (waived for PHCC member companies)
• Classes Begin August 29, 2022
• Open Enrollment Closes – August 12th, 2022
• All classes begin promptly at 5:30 pm
• Class Schedule as Follows:
  • Plumbing Apprentice Year 1: Tuesdays
  • Plumbing Apprentice Year 2: Wednesdays
  • Plumbing Apprentice Year 3: Thursdays
  • Plumbing Apprentice Year 4: Mondays or Thursdays

*Some classes may require pre-scheduled Saturday curricular activities. Students will be notified of these Saturday classes at least 30 days in advance.

Course Supplies:

Following required books are included in tuition prices and must be brought to each class session. 

• 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code Book (illustrated or non-illustrated)

• NCCER Plumbing Curriculum (pertaining to the year you are enrolled in)
  • Level 1
  • Level 2
  • Level 3
  • Level 4