Introduction to the Plumbing and Services Sector
These pages provide an overview of the Plumbing and Services Sector including:
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Qualifications framework for the Plumbing and Services Sector |
Sector workforce
The Plumbing and Services Sector of the construction industry covers trade areas such as water, sanitary, gas, mechanical services, heating and cooling, industrial wastes, metal roofing, drainage, building services and other specialised areas such as fire services and air-conditioning. The sector has some large enterprises but is dominated by small firms and self-employed tradespeople, with an estimated 90% of plumbing contractor businesses employing between 1 and 50 employees.
The workforce is involved in plumbing services ranging from domestic maintenance through to high-rise construction. The demand for plumbers usually depends on the level of activity in the building industry. However, unlike other building trades, downturns in building activity have less effect on plumbers because of the work available in renovation and maintenance.
By far the largest industry area is the the service area. This is concerned with the installation, maintenance and replacement of facilities in institutions such as hospitals, laboratories, hotels and schools. The service sector also includes many industrial and manufacturing installations as well as commerce in shops and offices and of course a very large market of domestic plumbing consumers.
Occupations and job roles include trades such as:
§ Drainage
§ Metal roofing and cladding
§ Urban irrigation
§ Plumbing
§ Plumbing - Mechanical Services
§ Roof plumbing
§ Gas fitting
§ Fire protection
Typical occupations include:
§ Drainage worker - install, maintain and repair pipes in storm water or sanitation systems and drains, install septic tanks, holding wells, sullage pits and absorption tracks
§ Gasfitter - install, maintain, test and repair gas lines, meters, regulators, units and appliances
§ Plumber - install, maintain and repair pipes and fittings designed to convey hot and cold water
§ Roof plumber - install and fix roofs, flashings, gutters and downpipes
§ Sanitary plumber - install, remove, renew, repair and maintain pipes, including ventilation of those pipes and fittings to receive and convey sewage
§ Mechanical services plumber - install and service heating and cooling systems.
There are approximately 60,000 registered or licensed persons in Australia of which the majority has principle registration for water, drainage, sanitary and gasfitting streams.
Emerging trends in the sector
The plumbing industry is driven technically by public health and environmental requirements arising from the water industry and the need for proper sanitation. Sustainable and environmently friendly practices are driving the sector with the certification of "green plumbers" expected to be a standard practice by the year 2015. The ongoing need to protect the environment from ozone depleting substances, the search for alternative energy methods and water saving measures will require that plumbers of the future have a major impact on addressing environmental requirements in their everyday activities and have the appropriate education to enable them to do so.
Technology impacts on the sector in various ways. Changes to the type of equipment used by plumbers has seen the introduction of video cameras to inspect for hidden leaks in drainage systems or hydro jets, and high pressure hydraulic pumps connected to steel cables for trench-less sewer line replacement. Additionally, the introduction of new materials such as recycled plastic piping requires upskilling the workforce to learn new methods of handling and installation.
Whilst many small businesses in the sector are reluctant to incur the costs of adopting information technology innovations, due to the rapid growth in subcontracting of most trade services and the increasing importance of sophisticated project management tools for large projects, the sector is seeing the emergence of new technologies and systems such as an increasing reliance on electronic tendering and procurement processes. Additionally, the introduction of mobile data devices is enabling businesses to streamline and improve their operations, for example by accessing technical information while working onsite and automating stock control.
Training environment
As is seen in the General Construction Sector, growth and demand for skilled workers in the Plumbing and Services Sector has placed added pressure on the training system. Plumbing and services industry associations and unions want to increase the breadth of training to create a workforce of people who can undertake a wider range of plumbing activities. A focus on continuing professional development is helping to adress the need for the existing plumbing workforce to meet emerging requirements.
Gaining full qualifications and apprenticeships is the usual pathway to skill development in the sector. Although competition is strong for new plumbing apprenticeships, trade level recruitment problems can be exacerbated by the widespread industry reliance on a four year apprenticeship pathway. Plumbing occupations with skill shortages in most areas in an issue but increased take-up is limited by employer preparedness to indenture apprentices in some regions.
In recent years the sector has undergone a major change from existing local course apprenticeship training to programs based on national competencies. In the most recent review of the nationally endorsed units and qualifications as part of CPC08, the competencies were aligned with the General Construction Sector competencies under the new 'integrated framework'. Changes were therefore kept to a minimum to accommodate delivery resources and strategies still in development and early implementation.
Qualifications framework for the Plumbing and Services Sector
There are ten qualifications ranging from Certificate II to Diploma for the Plumbing and Services Sector.
Units of competency developed for industry functions that are also covered by licensing have been packaged within qualifications in such a way as to relate easily to licensing requirements.
The individual qualifications structure including packaging rules for the Plumbing and Services Sector is shown below. Remember to check the NTIS website for the latest version of the qualifications and units of competency they contain.
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Qualification title |
AQF alignment |
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CPC20708 |
2 |
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CPC20808 |
2 |
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CPC20908 |
2 |
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CPC32408 |
3 |
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CPC32508 |
3 |
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CPC32608 |
3 |
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CPC32708 |
3 |
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CPC32808 |
3 |
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CPC40908 |
4 |
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CPC50408 |
5 |
Units of competency for the Plumbing and Services Sector
The Plumbing and Services Sector has been redeveloped with 164 sector-specific, and 39 imported units of competency. These provide greater coverage of industry functions, and also accommodate emerging skills needs.
Click HERE to view a complete listing of Plumbing and Services Sector units and the individual descriptor and statement of workplace application for each. To view the individual units of competency, visit the NTIS website.
Imported units in plumbing and services qualifications
Within plumbing and services qualifications, wide use has been made of endorsed units of competency drawn from other Training Packages. The imported units of competency cover generic cross-industry functions. These units are accessed from the following Training Packages which can be viewed via the NTIS website.
§ BSB07 Business Services Training Package
§ CHC02 Community Services Training Package
§ CPP07 Property Services Training Package
§ FP105 Forest and Forest Products Training Package
§ ICA05 Information and Communications Training Package
§ LGA00 Local Government Training Package (Superseded by LGA04)
§ LMF02 Furnishing Training Package
§ MEM05 Metal and Engineering Training Package
§ PRM04 Asset Maintenance Training Package
§ RII06 Civil Construction Training Package
§ RTE03 Rural Production Training Package
§ RTF03 Amenity Horticulture Training Package
§ TAA04 Training and Assessment Training Package
§ TDT02 Transport and Distribution Training Package (Superseded by TLI07)
Click HERE to view a summary of the imported units of competency from these Training Packages, and the Plumbing and Services Sector qualifications that they have been packaged within.