Now let’s see what are the possible ways to become a plumber. Generally, three plausible ways are considered:

Graduating in a technical subject, such as Engineering, Architecture, Physics (three-year degree, plus a two-year master’s degree if necessary).
Graduate from a five-year technical education school; or in a professional education school, lasting three years with qualification or five years with the achievement of the high school diploma.
Having an enabling professional qualification, which is obtained with two years of experience in companies in the sector.

A non-specialized but professional form of qualification can be obtained even if you work for at least six years in the system installation sector, upon registration.

On the other hand, specialized professional experience is obtained by working for at least three years (excluding the apprenticeship period) in companies registered with duties comparable to those of a skilled worker.

To obtain the verifications of the qualifications it is necessary to contact:

  • Educational institutions;
  • Vocational training centers.

 

To obtain checks on professional experiences, however, it is necessary to contact:

  • National Archive of the Business Register;
  • Employment centers;
  • Provincial Labor Directorate.
  • Characteristics and skills of the plumber
  • As always for the sake of clarity we distinguish the skills and abilities of a plumber into two groups.

The first consists of technical, practical and active, job-specific skills (also called hard skills).

The second consists of the psychological propensities, the aptitude for work and the personality of each individual (also called soft skills).

Specific Skills:

The specific skills needed for a plumber are:

  • Knowledge in hydraulics, thermo-hydraulics, electrical engineering, plant engineering;
  • Ability to create the systems of interest with dexterity and dexterity;
  • Knowledge of pipeline laying techniques, household appliances and plumbing and thermo-hydraulic elements;
  • Expertise in plant regulation;
  • Ability in thermo-hydraulic technical drawing, at least to interpret the projects provided by the client;
  • Knowledge of the regulations currently in force.
  • Behavioral and psychological skills
  • A good plumber must also be equipped with:
  • Excellent problem solving skills, even under pressure;
  • Ability to work independently: the foreman must in fact follow the progress of all employees, and cannot support them individually for the entire duration of the work;
  • Excellent physical endurance and strength.
  • Good relationship skills with customers and colleagues (in particular, this ability is essential for those who want to set up on their own to work as a freelance plumber).

Earnings, career and growth Opportunities:

As we mentioned at the beginning, the profession of plumber – and in particular that of plumbing and heating – is extremely in demand by companies, which have difficulty in finding capable and competent professionals in the sector.

The vitality of this type of systems and the stringent regulations on their functionality require frequent updates and corrections, so we expect a certain stability of the profession in the coming years. Here are tips a plumber should know

Speaking of earnings, we can distinguish the career of a plumber in various stages:

As an apprentice, in the very first years of training, it is possible to earn around 900 $ per month;
At mid-career, between 4 and 9 years of practicing the profession, it is possible to earn about 1400/1500 net per month;
A very talented and established professional can earn, at the end of his career (over 15 years of profession) even approximately 3500.

Current situation and Career:

The national contract referred to when speaking of plumbers is that of “metalworker in the craft sector”.

The most frequent way in which you come into contact with the world of work is that of an apprenticeship, of varying duration.

Estimates the presence, in Italy, of approximately 180,000 companies dealing with plumbing and related specializations, with a production force of approximately 400,000 employees, including entrepreneurs and employees.

Career opportunities are diversified, both for the acquisition of vertical and horizontal positions.

Horizontal positions are those that specialize the professional in a different job or specialization of the collective profession. Depending on the request of those specific professionals and the difficulty of the sector, the salary to be expected will be more or less substantial. Just to name a few, the specializations to focus on can be:

  • Hydroelectric power stations;
  • Air conditioning systems;
  • Heating systems;
  • Boiler;
  • Refrigeration;

Hydraulics.:

The most frequent vertical specialization is instead that which leads to being from plumber to foreman, then to designer or project manager. In these cases it is certainly possible to expect much higher remuneration, but also greater responsibilities and contacts with professionals and customers.

The last possible alternative is that of the commercial. The skills gained through the practice of the trade can pave the way for resellers of bathroom furniture or plumbing products.

Freelancer:

Many plumbers in Italy work through the freelance profession, as sole proprietorships or SMEs.

  • To follow this path it is obviously necessary to have completed several years of apprenticeship and practical execution of the tasks, and then:
  • Open the VAT number (Ateco Code of the 43.22 series);
  • Register with the register of artisan enterprises or with the local Chamber of Commerce;
  • Demonstrate knowledge of Law 46 of 1990, which governs the rules for plant safety;
  • Be registered with INPS and INAIL (not alone, but with any company employees).
  • Then it is necessary to start one’s own circle of clients and to exercise and refine the skills of dialogue and mediation with their needs.

For small and medium-sized businesses, an essential activity in promoting their business is online marketing.

Use the Internet for the free profession:

It seems rather unlikely that the name of a good plumber will be found in the Yellow Pages today. The two most likely avenues are word of mouth and the Internet.

There are many agencies that deal with advertising for SMEs and that can definitely help professionals to expand their customer base and therefore their turnover.

Some essential activities to position yourself effectively online are:

  • Opening a website, with contacts listed and the ability to fill out a form to get a quote;
  • Register the company on Google, to make it appear in the search results for a certain geographical area (for example, the reference city);
  • Having a company blog, where content relating to the trade, suggestions for customers are continuously published or the systems that have been dealt
  • with in the past are demonstrated with portfolios and images;
  • Taking care of profiles on social networks, essential both to retain customers and to find new ones; the promotion can take place both with posts, photos and videos, and with more complex (and expensive) maneuvers such as promotion through ADV, i.e. advertisements that appear on the noticeboards of users potentially interested in that specific activity.
  • Given the importance and difficulty of the advertising profession, it is always advisable to identify an agency or a professional who can deal with it professionally.