While local schools push students to learn coding and computer science, Jack Bingham of Jack’s All-American Plumbing in Santa Maria is wondering why no one’s encouraging kids to work with their hands anymore.
Despite the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ positive outlook for skilled trades, or the “construction and extraction occupations,” which the agency states are projected to grow 10 percent from 2014 to 2024, it’s becoming harder and harder for Bingham to find anyone willing to become a plumber.
“The trades are dying,” he told the Sun. “The labor force is slim pickins.”
Despite this, Jack and his wife, Becky, are still able to find either experienced employees or those willing to learn the plumbing trade at their shop, which just marked its 25th year of business in Santa Maria.
Jack’s All-American Plumbing started in May 1991, at a time when life was a bit stressful for the Binghams. Jack had just started his business when Becky gave birth to their baby. It was a fledgling business at first, but now it’s central to their lives. After all, it was how they met. Jack came to Becky’s house to install a new gas line for a hot water heater, and the rest is history.
The original plumbing bill that marked their encounter sits encased in a frame inside their office.
In fact, Jack was on a plumbing call when Becky went into labor.
But it’s hard to find such dedication nowadays. The Binghams have attended career fairs at local high schools where they get to showcase their profession to students. The kids were receptive, Jack said, although it’s difficult to tell whether the interest will stick.
“The kids don’t know anything other than computers and PlayStation,” Jack said. “No one gets them involved with the industrial arts.”
In order to do this, the Binghams believe that schools ought to expose students to more trades. Others seem to agree. Writing for Gannett’s Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, N.Y., in September 2016, John Spaulding remembers decades ago when he took classes like mechanical drawing, wood shop, and small engine repair.
“It is disappointing that the leaders of schools and society do not value these things any longer,” Spaulding wrote. “These skills helped shape me as a man and be able to repair and create things.”
It’s not like Jack’s is hard up for labor. The Binghams said their business is very stable overall.
To find labor, the Binghams use sites like Craigslist and Indeed to post job listings. Becky said they’ve had to expand their search to nearby cities like Bakersfield and Fresno, or even farther, to find fresh talent. Recently, they hired a plumber from Wisconsin.
The Binghams prefer to bring someone into the business as an apprentice, train them, and let them grow with the company. The pay isn’t all that great at first and the work is hard, but they learn a trade while getting paid—which is something that can’t be said for many colleges and universities.
To help advance his employees, Jack regularly sends them to conferences and seminars to keep up with the latest plumbing technology. Part of the company’s arsenal is a fiber optic plumbing camera used to inspect pipes, which also has a locating device on it.
Being a plumber may be seen as a “dirty job,” but it’s one that’ll never go away as long as there’s water and pipes.
“This is a trade that you can take anywhere in the world,” Jack said.
Jack’s All-American Plumbing specializes in house calls, repairs, remodels, and re-pipes—both for residential and commercial projects. Sun readers voted the company Best Plumber in North County for 10 years in a row. For more information, call Jack’s at 925-0199 or visit them at jacksplumbing.net.
Highlights
Tax season is here. Tax preparation can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Each Saturday until April 15, the United Way of Northern Santa Barbara County offers the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program at Allan Hancock College, which gives free tax help to households that generally made $54,000 per year or less in 2016. For anyone who earns less than $64,000 and is comfortable filing their own state and federal taxes, they can also do this for free at myfreetaxes.org. For more information, call 922-0329, Ext. 105.
Staff Writer David Minsky wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
This article appears in Mar 9-16, 2017.