O’Leary students plunge into the plumbing trade
Dylan Johanson spent his early years tinkering with tools and dismantling objects.
Now, he gets credit for doing it in what administrators believe is western Canada’s only high school plumbing lab.
“It’s fun — just very relaxing. You can just come and do your work, and not be bothered,” the 16-yearold said Wednesday over the roar of a pipe threading machine.
While some high schools have struck partnerships that give students access to labs at technical institutes and colleges, Archbishop O’Leary High School in northeast Edmonton boasts an in-school plumbing program to interest students in the trade.
Part of a $27.4-million ongoing renovation to the Catholic school, the lab has benches full of vices, soldering equipment, tools and a whole lot of pipe.
It was funded in part by a federal grant, and contributions from United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Union and the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating.
Not only does the lab expose kids to a potential career in an in-demand trade, it gives students dual credit for their first year of a postsecondary plumbing program, principal Todd Eistetter said.
The program began a year ago with 15 kids enrolled, and has grown to 24 teens this year.
Running the classes is Jacques Gartner, who worked as a plumber and pipe fitter for a decade before earning an education degree.
The classes start with a safety course before the teens lay their hands on tanks of compressed air and flaming torches.
The skills students acquire can be applied to other jobs, such as sprinkler fitting or steam fitting, which involves larger industrial pipes.
Gartner looks for ways to weave in math and science lessons, such as calculating how much pipe they’ll need for a water drainage setup.
Dylan said Gartner has also taught them about building codes and legal issues related to working as a plumber.
Although he knows plumbers are usually paid well, the Grade 11 student is mainly drawn to the vocation because he gets to work with his hands.
Grade 12 plumbing student Amadeo Antonucci, 17, is part of the registered apprenticeship program, and spent his summer and the fall school semester working as a plumber with local companies. He enjoys the work, and wants to continue in a journeyman program in plumbing.
On Wednesday, students were tasked with using discarded pipes in art projects to practice their soldering and threading skills.
Two groups were building large skull faces, but 16-year-old Patrick Macipura was aiming for a more abstract sculpture made from loops of copper pipe.
This is my happy place in school.
Although he’d like to pursue a career in science, Patrick is honing his plumbing skills as a backup career option.
The Grade 11 student likes the tactile work, and thinks it’s useful to know how to fix problems around the house.
“This is my happy place in school,” he said.