In each issue of Working Pressure, we ask 10 questions to a training coordinator or instructor of an ASSE-approved training provider. Some questions are work related, some are personal, and others are just for fun. We learn our trade through local colleagues, mentors, and instructors, but what can we learn from others across the country? Let’s learn about the people we learn from. In this issue, we’ll get to know Paul A. Baker, Training Coordinator / Program Director at Plumbers Local 98’s Plumbing Industry Training Center in Detroit.
If you’d like us to ask 10 questions to your ASSE-approved training coordinator or instructor, send us a note telling us why at editor@workingpressuremag.com.
How long have you been affiliated with your training center/school?
In 2000, I began teaching construction safety in the evenings as a part time instructor for Plumbers Local 98’s apprenticeship program. I became a full-time instructor in Dec. 2006 and was named Training Coordinator/Program Director in Jan. 2016.
What is your background as it relates to your job?
I completed my apprenticeship in 2001 and worked in the field for Weiss Construction, a contractor that mainly performed municipal water work for the City of Detroit. I began as an apprentice and worked my way up to foreman. I coached high school JV basketball for several seasons, so I’ve always had a desire to teach young people a skill. I think that these experiences relate very well with the path that I’ve taken in the plumbing industry, as I feel that both are a perfect blend of mental and physical work, which I find to be very satisfying. I hold a State of Michigan Master Plumbing License and an Associate in Applied Science degree from Washtenaw Community College.
How did you become interested in ASSE certification programs?
My interest in the certification programs started with Cross-Connection Control. I became an ASSE 5110 Certified tester in my apprenticeship and did some testing during my time in the field. Once I became a full-time instructor, I began teaching the certification classes for apprentices and journey plumbers at the training center. As an instructor, I had a desire to get as much information as I could get to make my classes better.
What ASSE certifications are you currently offering?
Our training center currently offers the following ASSE Certifications:
- ASSE 5110 Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester
- ASSE 5130 Backflow Prevention Assembly Repairer
- Third-party certification to ASSE Standard #6010, Medical Gas Systems Installer
Are any ASSE certifications required in your city or state?
The State of Michigan requires backflow prevention assembly testers to be ASSE Certified.
How do you get students interested in the classes you’re offering?
Our fifth-year apprentices are required to obtain ASSE 5110 Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester Certification and certification to ASSE Standard #6010, Medical Gas Systems Installer, plus we teach an ASSE 5130 Backflow Prevention Assembly Repairer class so that they can obtain that certification. We also offer these certifications to our journey plumbers as a way to upgrade their skills. The State of Michigan requiring an ASSE 5110 Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester Certification to test backflow prevention assemblies has certainly helped to drive interest in these classes. However, the addition of the ASSE 5130 Backflow Prevention Assembly Repairer Certification has caused a lot of excitement and interest with our journey plumbers. I have been very fortunate – when I offer a backflow tester, repairer, or med gas installer class, it usually fills up because our journey plumbers recognize the value of these classes.
What’s your favorite sports team?
I’m a big football fan, so it’s the Detroit Lions followed by the University of Michigan and Michigan State.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
If it was up to me, I’d play golf all over the world. However, my wife – the lovely Regina – would certainly have us involved in a lot of charity work.
Would you rather never have internet access again or never be able to take an airplane again?
I am a huge Amazon Prime addict, but I would rather go without internet access. Getting on a plane and going somewhere new offers a lot more adventure.
What would be the worst “buy one get one free” sale of all time?
As a football fan, a buy one 2008 Detroit Lions season ticket, get one 2017 Cleveland Browns season ticket free … the only 0-16 teams in NFL history.
