Plumbing Apprenticeship

Course Overview

This qualification is designed for plumbing apprentices who are employed full time as an apprentice and have a formal contract of training. The qualification will provide learners with the skills and knowledge required to seek registration with the Victorian Building Authority as a registered plumber.

Master Plumbers offers learners two training plan options in this qualification to meet employer requirements.

General Plumbing + Mechanical + Roofing option - six plumbing streams including water, sanitary, gas, roofing and mechanical services
General Plumbing + Roofing option - five plumbing streams including water, sanitary, gas, roofing and drainage

Prerequisites / entry requirements

There are no specified prerequisites or entry requirements for learners in this qualification.

However it is recommended that learners are able to demonstrate language, literacy and numeracy skills equivalent to Level 3 of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF).

All new entrants to the Certificate III in Plumbing will be required to undergo a pre assessment of their language, literacy and numeracy designed to identify their level of ability against the ACSF.

It is recommended that learners hold their Construction Industry Induction card (CPCCOHS1001A Work safely in the construction industry) prior to enrolling in this qualification.

This training is delivered with Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding.

Course structure

The qualification has core and elective unit of competency requirements that cover common and specialist skills for the plumbing industry in six specialist streams:

• Stream 1 Water
• Stream 2 Sanitary
• Stream 3 Drainage
• Stream 4 Mechanical Services
• Stream 5 Roofing
• Stream 6 Gas services

Units of competency meet the requirements of the qualification and the Victorian Building Authority registration regime

To meet industry expectations, and better develop the skills of our apprentices, Master Plumbers delivers five plumbing streams in either General Plumbing + Roofing or General Plumbing + Mechanical + Roofing option.

The following units of competency are required for the award of this qualification:

• General Plumbing + Roofing 43 Core and 19 Electives
• General Plumbing + Mechanical and Roofing 43 Core and 34 electives

NB: Units of competency achieved in one stream count as credit for the same unit in the core or elective requirements for any other stream.

Course duration

• General Plumbing + Mechanical and Roofing services option - 1643 nominal hours delivered over 3.5 years (block release training)
• General Plumbing + Roofing option - 1310 nominal hours delivered over 3 years (block release training)

Block Dates

For all current apprentices, block dates are available via the Student Portal

Timetable

Timetables are available via the student portal

Course outcomes

This qualification provides a trade outcome in plumbing.

Occupational titles may include:

• Plumber
• Plumber and drainer
• Plumber and gasfitter
• Gasfitter
• Roof plumber
• Mechanical services plumber.

This qualification is suitable for an Australian Apprenticeship pathway.

Apprentices who successfully complete this qualification will be required to sit the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) external examination if they wish to achieve registration for specific classes of plumbing work.

Recognition

On successful completion learners will receive the qualification CPC32420 Certificate III in Plumbing.

Learners who do not complete the full qualification will receive a Statement of Attainment for those unit/s which have been successfully completed. Learners will receive credit for these units where they form part of any other accredited course or training package qualification.

Licensing and registration information

All plumbing work in Victoria must comply with Part 12A of the Building Act 1993 and the Plumbing Regulations 2008.

Part 12A of the Act sets out the legal framework for the registration and licensing of plumbing practitioners, and regulation of plumbing work and other plumbing matters. The Regulations are derived from the Act and set out the requirements that must be complied with.

In accordance with the regulation for registration in Victoria the VBA mandate specific competencies from the Certificate III qualification as a minimum that must be achieved for a plumber to gain registration.

Download the VBA Gazette list of competency units here:

Gazette_Approved-Competency-Units

Delivery arrangements

This qualification incorporates approximately 3 years off the job (RTO based) structured training and delivery. The units required to complete the qualification have been grouped into stages to reflect the skill and knowledge development of apprentice learners over that time. Each stage roughly equates to a year.

Stage 1 - Foundation skills

This stage is delivered over 1 double and 8 x single week blocks of training approximately every 4 weeks.

Stages 2/3/4 - Plumbing installation skills

These stages are delivered over 16 x single week blocks for General Plumbing + Roofing approximately every 4 weeks

These stages are delivered over 22 x single week blocks for General Plumbing + Mechanical + Roofing approximately every 4 weeks.

Training delivery

Training and delivery methods include:

• Practical activities and learning tasks completed in the practical workshop (approximately 70% of the course)
• Face to face teacher lead classes (approximately 30% of the course)
• Self directed learning activities using Australian Standards and industry reference materials

The course is delivered at the purpose built facilities at the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC).

Assessment arrangements

Assessment methods include;

• Completion of practical installation tasks, individually or in teams, relevant to plumbing work
• Oral and/or written questioning related to underpinning knowledge
• Application of knowledge during practical activities (e.g. write material lists, plan tasks, develop drawings, read plans)
• Tests /quizzes to confirm knowledge retention
• Preparation of SWMS to ensure fundamental WHS requirements

Reasonable adjustments to our assessment methods are available for learners with specific needs. These will be discussed with a Master Plumbers assessor.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is available to learners in accordance with Master Plumbers’ policies and guidelines.

Note that this qualification sits within a regulated licensed industry. Individuals undertaking the job tasks and skills identified within the qualification must be registered to practice legally. Recognition of prior learning may be deemed invalid if an individual is found to have been working illegally. Recognition may be possible for generic skills for unregistered individuals.

Where individuals can demonstrate plumbing skills and knowledge have been acquired under the direct supervision of a licensed or registered plumbing practitioner within Australia an RPL application would be deemed valid.

RPL in any aspect of this qualification will generally be determined by a challenge test against the unit assessment tasks.