ASSOCIATIONS
15
Master Plumber designation
coming soon
By Eamonn Ryan
PIRB and IOPSA are relaunching the Master Plumber designation
with a new curriculum and course behind it. It is designed to
upskill plumbers and uplift the industry.
At a Gauteng Plumbers meeting held on
14 November at Builders’ Warehouse,
Boksburg, Jess Roussos of Blu Lever Education
gave a presentation on the imminent re-
introduction of a Master Builder designation in
South Africa.
“Master Plumber is a relaunch of the designation by
PIRB and IOPSA, and what is different this time is that,
whereas the old designation was simply a title, now
there is a new curriculum and full course backing it, as
well as embracing new skills sets,” she says.
At the time of the presentation the designation was
still a work in progress, with the aim of launching it
early in the new year (about the time this issue will
be coming out), and so Roussos outlined it only in
general terms.
responsibility, or who are looking to take on
more responsibility on the business side;
• Plumbers who want to become leaders and role
models for the industry;
• Plumbers with two or more technical
specialisations (which is a prerequisite for the
course);
• Plumbers with several years’ experience; and
• Plumbers who are interested in investing in
themselves through learning and development.
“At the moment IOPSA is busy selecting a training
provider for the first cohort of Master Plumbers; a
cohort which will start early next year, and there will
potentially be funding for the first cohort of Master
Plumbers,” she says.
If you wish to learn more about Master Plumber as it
launches, go to: bit.ly/Masterplumber. PA
“As to why we need a new Master Plumber
designation, that is for the reasons of career
progression. In the past there has been limited
opportunity for plumbers to progress their careers
beyond being a licensed plumber or specialising.
This now offers people the opportunity to upskill and
take their career to the next level through skills that
have not previously been geared to the plumber. It
consequently becomes a differentiator for individuals
and companies, as someone who has gone through
this course will really stand out in the profession.
“It will also be a useful tool for companies, when
hiring, to look for Master Plumbers to differentiate
themselves from the competition, and which is
independent of the usual work references. It also
becomes a tool for quality control and builds public
trust, as well as making the South African profession
globally competitive,” says Roussos.
Who is this designation targeted at?
Roussos listed the target market as follows:
• Licensed plumbers who are already technical
experts in the field, with a number of years’
experience;
• Business owners or plumbers with business
February 2020 Volume 25 I Number 12
Blu Lever making its presentation on the Master Plumbers designation to a PIRB/IOPSA
strategic five-year training plan.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za