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Pipe trades unveil new Great Lakes training facility

Date Posted: August 22 2003

YPSILANTI - The 50-year anniversary of the week-long United Association of Plumbers, Pipe Fitters and Sprinkler Fitters Instructor Program coincided with another major milestone: the dedication of the UA's new Regional Training Facility.

For the last 14 years, more than 2,000 pipe trades instructors from North America have descended on Washtenaw Community College as part of the UA's train the trainer program. This year, from Aug. 10-14, pipe trades instructors got a chance to eyeball a new building on campus built especially for them, the new 15,500 square-foot Great Lakes Regional Training Center.

UA General President Martin Maddaloni, on hand for the unveiling of the new training facility, called it "the center of operations" for the other four UA's regional training locales that are being constructed around the country. The Washtenaw Community College center will act as the hub to connect 326,000 members at 321 UA locals throughout North American via the UA's distance learning program.

Pipe trades instructors receive training in all areas of their craft, including back-flow prevention, welding, and how to teach a class.

"These training centers aren't state of the art, we're beyond that," Maddaloni said. "We're well beyond any training offered anywhere in the world."

About two weeks away from completion, the new training center includes:

  • Classrooms wired for distance learning capability and Internet access.
  • Two 40-foot by 40-foot general purpose labs, one with special features for heating, cooling and ventilation instruction, the other with special hook-ups and a drainage trench for sprinkler fitting instruction.
  • Two oversized classrooms to accommodate up to 40 students in each.
  • A 48-seat auditorium-styled distance learning classroom, expandable to 72 students. It includes a framed instructional stage and three-projection set-up capable of broadcasting instruction to any of the UA's 180 sites equipped to receive it
  • A 24-station computer classroom.
  • A conference room that reconfigures into a four-unit visiting teacher office.
  • An open building mechanical room that will double as a demonstration lab.
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    J.M. Olson acted as general contractor on the fast-track project, which began late last year. "We've come a long way," said Project Supt. Wally Whims. "The tradespeople have worked very hard to bring us to where we're at."

    It was hoped the center would be open in time for this year's training program, but unexpected strong groundwater pressures required construction modifications and set the schedule back.

    "We're very happy with the new training center," said George Bliss, the UA's director of training. "Local 190, and the rest of the trades did a great job for us, and it will fit in very well with what we're trying to do."

    A PLAQUE COMMEMORATING the dedication of the new United Association Great Lakes Regional Training facility was displayed Aug. 13 by (l-r) Michigan Pipe Trades Association President Jim Davis, host Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 190 Business Manager Ron House, International Union Rep. Tom McNamara, International General President Martin Maddaloni and International Training Director George Bliss.
    THE UA'S new regional training facility in Ypsilanti is located on the campus of Washtenaw Community College.