Plumbing School

Are you looking for a new career opportunity? Have you wanted to get into the trades but didn't know where to start? Are you looking for a company dedicated to teamwork, career growth, and is willing to pay you while you train? Are you shaking your head yes? Then we should get to know more about each other.

Why do Plumber technicians love their job?

1. They get to help people
2. Job stability (People can't live without water!)
3. Compensated well

If you are ready to begin your career in the trades, then we want to hear from you.

Our plumbing apprentices learn the basics and beyond of the plumbing trade, with a focus on residential homes. Our Plumbing Apprentice class runs 14 weeks with a curriculum of classroom learning, hands on in a fully functional lab, as well as field training in customer's homes with a trainer. Apprentices who are selected to go through our academy will also get hundreds of hours toward their Journeyman license throughout their time in the program. We encourage all our apprentices to sit for their Journeyman’s test after meeting the state's requirements, and unlock the next phase of their plumbing career.

We will be accepting applications to enroll for our next class some time in 2025. We are looking for men and women who enjoy working with their hands, aren’t afraid of a little dirt, and are people-centric. This is a fully-paid program where you will get professional training in the plumbing trade. After graduation, students will earn a full-time position in our plumbing department.

TGA is the educational arm of Thornton & Grooms. We launched the Academy in Fall 2021 and had 22 plumbing graduates at the end of February 2022. TGA supplies educational opportunities to all employees of Thornton & Grooms in the areas of technical skills, soft skills, leadership training, safety training, wellness, and much more. We are helping our team to grow both professionally and personally.

Our Commitment to Growing the Trades

Thornton & Grooms is a locally owned heating, cooling, and plumbing company. Our purpose is to be ever-building the professionalism, integrity, and honor of the trades. Employees at Thornton & Grooms are supplied with continuous education in technical training, soft skills, and safety training throughout their career. Thornton & Grooms is also a winner of the Detroit Free Press “Top Workplaces” Award.

*Students enrolled in our Plumbing Apprenticeship Program will be paid an hourly wage. Students will receive 14-weeks of free training.

*All candidates will undergo a selection process so we can narrow our class to 8 students. Upon selection, students will need to pass a 10-panel drug test, background check, driving record check, and be 20 years of age or older to secure enrollment.

We’ve been building residential plumbers at Thornton & Grooms since our conception in 1937. Mostly, we’ve done it the traditional way – having an apprentice ride-a-long and helping a licensed plumber and train on the job. Today, we are training plumbing apprentices in a new way.

Our 14-week Plumbing Apprentice Program is designed to give students with little to no plumbing experience the tools they need to build a foundation in the trades. The coursework consists of 25% classroom, 25% skills lab, and 50% field training. Students will learn the basic principles of plumbing, drain systems, vents, water lines, and fixture installation. Apprentices are expected to register with the state so they can begin logging hours towards their apprenticeship - our program earns students 800 hours. Upon graduation, apprentices will be matched with our plumbing maintenance department, where they will begin their full-time careers.

Students will also get to take advantage of all the other perks that come with working at Thornton & Grooms. Whether it’s attending a holiday party or all-company meeting, competing in a wellness challenge, or taking Dave Ramsey classes, we provide you with the same experience we give all team members.

Benefits of Our Hybrid Training Approach

As we mentioned above, TGA will consist of 25% classroom, 25% skills lab, and 50% field training.

Classroom style training taught by a trained educator provides:

• Written and video coursework
• Technical, soft skills, and safety training
  
• Experience with our software programs, maintenance plan, and branding

Technical skills lab training by a journeyman plumber gives you:

• A safe, secure opportunity to get hands-on training
• Experience working with tools and equipment
  
• Repeated opportunities to practice and master
  

Field ride-a-longs give you:

• Opportunities to see and work on all plumbing projects in real-life situations
• First-hand customer interactions so you can put your soft skills training to work
• A chance to meet and get to know many of the same men and women you will be working with during your career at Thornton & Grooms