SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — Fourteen industry experts from across the U.S., all passionate about water and the environment, converged here recently for the first GreenPlumbers Train the Trainer event. A weeklong program, Train the Trainer enables participants to become certified instructors of the GreenPlumbers curriculum: caring for water, climate care, solar hot water, water efficient technologies and inspection report services.
Trade associations, large contractors and union representatives were all represented at the event. Participants came from all corners of the nation, including California, Maryland, Florida, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Indiana, Virginia, Texas and Hawaii.
"We were excited to be able to present the program to such highly-qualified people," said Carrie McChesney, national program director of GreenPlumbers. "It was a great way to get a lot of really knowledgeable industry folks together to learn and share about these critical issues — and now, they can present the core classes in their communities, helping us reach more plumbers across the country."
The core curriculum and instructors were praised by participants. "The GreenPlumberstraining program is in a word, outstanding,” said John Klesaris of Burlington, Mass. “Their cutting edge materials make for a training program that anyone in the plumbing business would be foolish to miss. The instructors are brilliantly competent and provided much thoughtful insight."
Instructors at the weeklong event enjoyed working with their peers. "Grateful, thankful and blessed are the words that come to mind when I think how fortunate I am to have spent the past week training with some of the most dynamic people in the plumbing industry," said Joseph Schwab of Sarasota, Fla.
At the end of the week, even for people already in the field, it was the water conservation and climate care information that was most vital. "In view of the economy and the shortage of natural resources, it is imperative that we put the word out," commented Rohland Bryant of Pinellas County, Fla. "It may not seem like much, but over a period of time, a cup of water can add up to a quart and a quart to a gallon ... multiply by the number of households in a community, and a tremendous positive result can be realized on our most valuable resources."
The GreenPlumbers training and accreditation program is open to all recognized plumbers and contractors. The program is partnered with the EPA’s WaterSense program, the Alliance for Water Efficiency, the California Center for Sustainable Energy, the California Urban Water Conservation Council and many more industry leaders in its mission of bringing environmental training to plumbers.
Additional information can be found at: www.greenplumbersusa.com.