The gist
The program is named after Mitchell Chuoke Jr., whose family has had a “long-standing commitment to the plumbing industry,” according to a Dec. 4 news release from the college.
The program will come at no cost to students and was made possible with $1.3 million in donations from a number of community partners, according to the release.
The college will work with Plumbers Local Union 68 to provide the 80-hour program, according to the release. Some of what will be covered includes residential and commercial aspects of the plumbing trade as well as safety.
Quote of note
“Our family has been in the plumbing business for a long time, and to have a program named after my brother is very special and a very nice memorial for him,” Joe Chuoke said in the release. “I think that this is a perfect opportunity because [students] can come to this program—get acquainted with the tools, get acquainted with the terminology and see if they want to pursue this endeavor further.”
What else?
Texas Workforce Solutions projects the Gulf Coast region will need more than 15,000 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters to keep up with demand, according to the release.
Plumbers earn a median annual hourly wage of $27.08, according to the release.
