I am rather interested in plumbing, I am 20yrs old. And have worked with a few plumbers as side work, other then that I have no experience. It seems like something I would like to take up. How would one go about it?

1.Continue working with plumber
2.Learn. Notice things. Get familiar with materials, their use and the procedures used to install them.
3. Buy yourself basic tools and truck
4. Start doing jobs on side on weekends
5. Print yourself business card
6. Answer ALL calls
7. In the beginning: bid low
8. Once you feel confident - quit your day job. On friendly bases, of course - you may ask him for job few weeks later
9. If licensing is required in your state, get licensed
10. Work, work and work...
11. Buy more tools as you grow. Don't try to save money on tools. Get the best. Best tools make you productive, make finished job look better and allow you to charge more money
12. Get helper as soon as you can afford him. Helper pays for himself - even if you rolls up your extension cords at the end of the day.

Klock, since you have contact with some local plumber you should talk to them. This would be especially helpful if they are licensed and maybe evn union plumbers since many locals have an apprentice program. Contact the local version of this Plumbers Union Local 75 (http://www.plumbers75.com/apprenticeship.htm)

Ballenbgerb has a point I didn't mention:

Make decision what you want to do. If you are kind of "follower" and like fixed pay-check every Friday - than try to get into Union. If you are pro-active, motivated and "go-getter", want to make more money and are not afraid to take on responsibility - do as I said.

Great info Milo and BB1. There is so much to learn from the old pros.I have been doing Plumbing and heating for 30 years and love working for myself.

There is many ways to get needed experience.I started at a hardware store and worked in the field very soon after that.

Summers I worked with a master plumber and heating tech and learned so much from him.

I also did 2 years of vocational school for plumbing and heating.If you are top of your class you can get on work study and still get credit for school while you are working in the field getting paid for training.

If you can get a job with a large company you will be able to work on all the phases of plumbing.

Underground plumbing,sewer and water mains,rough sanitary drains-waste-vents.

Rough-in waterlines,rough-in drainage waste and vents,finish fixtures,water heaters,dishwashers,disposals etc...

If you can get on some track housing with a 100 or so units you can work in different phases of the trade until you learn each part of the job. Repetition does get old but it also gives you the needed experience in each part of the plumbing phases.

Well I done rambling on and the other thing you can do is read and read and read all you can about plumbing codes and the building codes.

Study as many blueprints as you can find,learn what all the drawings mean in reference to the job. Good luck

In Wisconsin you go through the Apprenticeship program which is setup as a cooperative between the state and a local union. Here is a PDF file of the booklet (http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dwd/publications/dws/apprenticeship/apprenticebooklet.pdf) and find out when the Apprenticeship Application Day is by the local union calender (http://www.plumbers75.com/calendar.php). Call them up and ask about the time you have to be there as they lock you out if you are late.

Listen to the orientation speeches and fill out the paperwork for taking an Accuplacer exam at MATC downtown campus. You will need to pay a $20 fee to take the exam which consists of 3 parts : Reading Comprehension, Basic Mathematics and Elementary Algebra.

If you score high enough you will qualify for an interview with prospective union employers from within the local union.

There were approximately 20 members there who will ask you about 3 to 5 questions each. Some of the questions are:

-What does a plumber do ?
-If a customer criticized about your work, how would you handle it ?
-Do you have a clean drivers record ?
-Have you ever been arrested ?
-If ask to work overtime, would you be willing to do it ?
-What plumbing experience do you have ?
-What amount of pay did you make in your last position ?
-Are you willing to work in adverse conditions, such as high places, tight places, etc.
-What thing do you most regret that you have done in the past ?
-Do you have reliable transportation ?

I have went through this process and can tell you that I had a perfect score on the math portions and a missed question on the Reading Comprehension of the Accuplacer exam only to have the interview process bring me down to the bottom of the applicants list. You may surmise that the advice I give you is from this perspective.

Try the process if you wish but don't pin your hopes too high on a rigged process. If you have a dad who is a member of this union you are most likely in no matter how incompetent you are. Good luck.