The Plumbing Industry Council and Plumbers and Pipefitters' Local No. 562 launched a new career and educational program at St. Louis' AGC Construction Careers Center Charter High School last November. The three-week program, titled “Explore and Discover Your Options with PIC,” was modeled specifically for 39 junior level students to expose them to the various career fields in the union plumbing and mechanical industries.

Local No. 562 provides hands-on training classes and takes students to a working jobsite. Students are required to take weekly tests for assessment purposes. After the class ends, students are encouraged to continue their education through a union construction apprenticeship training program, community college or four-year college or university.

The PIC provides funding for the instructors, class materials, student lunches and transportation. For more information, contact G. Raymond Hefner, PIC's executive vice president, at 314/770-0093.