CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — United Association Plumbers Local 130 was slated to open its new training center on the near west side of Chicago on September 12. The facility is 50,000-square feet of building space surrounded by glass, copper, concrete and cast iron — all overlooking a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline. It’s unlike any training center the city has seen before. The training center has everything needed to train tomorrow’s plumbers with real-world scenarios.
The building is high-tech and eco-friendly, designed to train tomorrow’s plumbers on every green technology available. Apprentices learn how to harvest and reuse both rainwater and gray water. But the center goes beyond the green roof and the solar collector. Apprentices learn rigging, underground work, valve repair, hot work and more.