New Somerville High plumbing program

As part of its Center for Career and Technical Education, Somerville High School started a plumbing program as well as an HVAC program during the last school year. The programs are in the city’s new school, which opened in March.

To help support and guide the plumbing program, representatives of Local 12 and the Plumbing Contractors Association joined the school’s advisory committee. Among their roles, they will assist in developing curriculum for the new program. Committee members include Frank Amato, director of business development and recruitment for Local 12, Matt Messinger, recruitment specialist for Local 12, Andrew DeAngelo, PCA executive director, and Dan Bent, executive VP for PCA contractor American Plumbing and Heating.

According to DeAngelo, in addition to their work on the committee, the industry leaders will support the Somerville High program with donations, help facilitate field trips, assist with job placement, and conduct info sessions about Local 12’s apprenticeship program for the school’s juniors and seniors. “We get involved in a similar way with the plumbing program at Madison Park in Boston,” he says.

The tech schools provide a feeder program of sorts for the union’s training center. “We want to give city kids an opportunity to have a shot at the apprenticeship program,” DeAngelo adds.