An instructor demonstrates how to use a vise to two students wearing blue coveralls and safety glasses in a workshop, showcasing hands-on training found in trade school programs.

Become a Plumbing Technician in Just Three Months

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Get ready to launch your future

Discover how our accelerated Plumbing Technician certificate program can help you build a more stable future

Build a career that can’t be outsourced.
Our three-month Plumbing Technician certificate program gives you the skills employers hire for and the work ethic they promote for.

Real-world skills: hands-on practice with copper, PVC, steel, and cast iron pipe, fixtures, and water heaters.
Work ethic training: the only trade school in North Carolina authorized to teach the mikeroweWORKS Foundation’s S.W.E.A.T. Pledge curriculum.
Job-placement support: interview prep and connections to local employers looking for new plumbers.

The Plumbing Technician Certificate curriculum includes:

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Basic Plumbing

  • protectionLearn the key health and safety principles of plumbing.
  • vernier caliperGet introduced to career paths, first aid and safety, essential tools, 
and mathematics for plumbers.
  • faucetCover valves, water heaters, faucets, building plans, plumbing fixtures, water sources, and waste disposal.
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Plumbing Essentials

  • weldingLearn about pipe fittings, disposal methods, pumps, and safety concepts.
  • vertexPractice applied plumbing mathematics and communication skills.
  • technicianLearn the habits that set the most professional plumbers apart.
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Intermediate Plumbing

  • water heaterLearn about residential and commercial fixtures and appliances, gas fittings and controls, and electric circuits.
  • electrical circuitCover tanks, water heaters, electric circuits, and venting for category-1 appliances.
  • maintenanceLearn important safety and troubleshooting practices.
  • blueprintPractice reading and interpreting blueprints and specifications.
  • settingDiscover how to be highly productive and successful at work.
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Advanced Plumbing

  • solar panelLearn about residential and commercial plumbing services, including water and vent piping repair and waste stoppage repair.
  • planningContinue practicing reading blueprints.
  • solar energyGet introduced to hot water systems, pumps, and potable water systems.

All courses cover applied code requirements, so you’ll know how to do the job right 
the first time and have your work pass inspections. 

Want to see what hands-on training at SST looks like?

Our plumbing programs help you get employed

Each course in our Plumbing Technician certificate program includes job-placement components. You’ll learn to craft a winning resume, prep for interviews, interact with customers and supervisors, and land the offer. No need to sign up for—or pay for—additional courses. Everything is built into the program.

Our plumbing programs help 
you get ahead

You don’t need to become a licensed plumber to have a successful plumbing career. But becoming licensed creates more opportunities. You can earn more, supervise others, or start your own plumbing business, depending on which license you get.

North Carolina offers multiple licensing options. Most licenses take a few years to earn, but training at the School of Skilled Trades gives you a head start on the process.

  • Each license option requires you to spend a certain number of hours working as a plumber and then pass an exam.
  • Time you spend in educational training counts towards the experience requirements, up to certain limits.
  • You can count 100% of the 250 hours you spend training at the School of Skilled Trades towards the requirements of any of the plumbing license options.
  • Plus, you’ll learn about the key topics the licensing exam covers. You’ll be ready to take the exam sooner than you thought, and you’ll be preparing to pass it.

For the latest information on licensing options and qualifications, please visit the State Board of Examiners website.

Two plumbers in uniforms and gloves fixing pipes under a sink in a tiled bathroom. One is adjusting the pipes while the other observes.

Our Program Helps You Get There Faster

Complete our three-month training to earn 250 hours toward the Plumbing Technician License—one of many plumbing licenses available in North Carolina.

Two people work together under a metal sink, using a wrench to adjust plumbing pipes—honing skills that are essential in plumbing technician courses.

Accelerate Your Path to Licensing with Training from the School of Skilled Trades

  • School of Skilled Trades blue gear bullet pointsOur Plumbing Technician Certificate program delivers 250 hours of essential hands-on experience.
  • School of Skilled Trades blue gear bullet pointsWithin approximately three months, students learn critical components of the NC Plumbing Code by becoming familar with the 2024 North Carolina State Building Plumbing Code Book. This book is the latest edition of the North Carolina plumbing code published by the International Code Council (ICC) and is used as the backbone for the state licensing exam. Learn more at nclicensing.org.
  • School of Skilled Trades blue gear bullet pointsKickstart your licensing path with a major head start when you train at the School of Skilled Trades!

North Carolina offers multiple licensing opportunities. For the latest information on exam requirements, please visit the State Board of Examiners website.

We’re here to help you get empowered, get equipped, and get employed. All you have to do is take the first step. Fill out the form, and we’ll schedule a quick call to help you get started. 

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The School of Skilled Trades is a non-profit school, meaning we invest in helping you learn, not in making a profit. We’re licensed by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges, so you learn valuable skills from qualified instructors with years of field experience.