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Plumbing student receiving on-site instructions.
Guest Editorial | Phil Hotarek

How a ride-along program can revolutionize plumbing recruitment

Catch red flags and combat job hopping by implementing a ride-along program.
Phil Hotarek 200x200 headshot
Phil Hotarek
September 25, 2025

Not every ride-along ends in a hire, and that’s by design. Last year, a candidate with over 20 years of experience applied. On the phone, he nailed every question with the right answer and knew what to say to capture my attention. His resume looked solid, so I invited him for a ride-along. But when he joined our team, the cracks appeared.


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Female technician repairing heating system pipes in the boiler room.

Breaking barriers: UA Local 9’s Committee leads the way in recruitment, mentorship and support

From schools to job sites, the union’s women-led initiative is challenging outdated stereotypes and proving that women belong in the trades.
Natalie Forster
Natalie Forster
September 24, 2025

Women make up only 2-3% of the plumbing workforce and 8% of plumbing apprentices. In construction trades, they hold 3.9% of roles like plumber or pipefitter, a 32% increase since 2016, totaling over 314,000 tradeswomen, according to the Institute of Women’s Policy Research.



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A street in Millinocket, a town in Penobscot County, Maine
Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

Methods from Millinocket: One town in Maine is leading the way in hydronics technology and transactive energy management

John Siegenthaler 200x200 author headshot on a white background.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
September 18, 2025

Millinocket is near utility-scale wind turbine farms where strong winter winds can lead to over-generation of electricity, surpassing local grid demand. While it might seem intuitive to shut down some generation equipment during such times, the process is not as simple as flipping a switch.


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