WESTFORD – The following press release has been authorized for publication and distribution by Nashoba Tech.
It’s never too late to change your career path. Christine Greenwood is proof of that.
After working in a variety of jobs, including restaurants, office administration, insurance, accounts receivable, hospitality, and agriculture, Greenwood decided to train to become a licensed plumber.
The 35-year-old Billerica resident heard on social media about the Career Technical Institute at Nashoba Valley Technical High School in Westford, which offers evening classes for adults who want to learn a trade and pursue a new career.
“The program seemed exciting and interesting to me, so I jumped at the chance and got involved,” said Greenwood. “I’ve always liked more active and mechanical jobs. The job I had at the time was sedentary and I knew I wanted to try something new.”
Greenwood completed the CTI course in May 2022 and was accepted into the Local 12 Union Apprenticeship Program in May 2023, one of 50 out of more than 500 applicants. She is the first graduate of Nashoba Tech’s CTI Sanitary program to be accepted into the program.
A Westford native, she graduated from Westford Academy, took a few courses at Salem State University, and then tried various trades before settling on a career as a plumber.
“All of these things helped me build exceptional social skills, but I knew I wanted to develop more concrete skills,” she said. “Plumbing was pretty new to me. I had previously worked in horticulture and we built and maintained a good pumped irrigation system so some of that knowledge was helpful as a base, but I had never soldered before or worked with materials like cast iron or copper tubing.”
Join Nashoba Tech’s CTI program where students can learn the basics of plumbing including how to cut and join copper, steel, PVC, PEX and CPVC pipe and fittings and use hand tools including hand ratchet threaders, propane torches, pipe cutters, strykers, ratchet cutters and more.
Matthew Govoni, a plumbing instructor at Nashoba Tech who is also one of the instructors for the CTI course, is confident that Greenwood will do well in the plumbing field.
“Christine worked with a variety of plumbing materials in the hands-on part of the course,” Govoni said. “She has soldered, pressed, screwed and glued together projects with a wide variety of fittings and materials. She studied the subject matter and asked various questions about plumbing.”
Greenwood called Govoni “an outstanding teacher and mentor”.
“I really felt like he wanted everyone in my class to be successful,” she said. “He took the time to get to know us and created a great atmosphere in the classroom. I felt empowered to be curious and ask questions. The activities and things I did in the store encouraged me to solve problems and figure things out on my own. Mr G was there to answer questions, guide me and give feedback. However, he also motivated me to be independent and confident.
“The program was exactly what I needed to take that leap and change my career path,” she added.
Greenwood’s job at Local 12 is a new school building under construction in Boston.
“I can work with more experienced journeymen and have a second-year apprentice who supervises me,” she said. “The journeyman is so patient and has been doing plumbing for a long time and the sophomore I’m with is also great because he knows exactly what it was like to be in my position as a sophomore.
“Every day is something new and I can put into practice the skills I developed in the CTI course,” she added. “I look forward to expanding my skills and learning to read the plumbing schedules. I measured and cut pipes, installed water lines, placed core concrete to allow pipes to protrude through the ground, and installed pipe support systems.
“My previous job was not progressing and I had reached a high point,” Greenwood added. “I feel the CTI course has prepared me to be an asset to the union and my job.”
Jobee O’Sullivan, director of post-secondary and community education at Nashoba Tech, is thrilled that the CTI program has prepared Greenwood for a career in plumbing.
“Christine was a tenacious follower of the Plumbers Local 12 Union training program,” O’Sullivan said. “She worked hard for this opportunity, recognizes the career path it offers her and I have no doubt that she will make the most of it.”
O’Sullivan added that Nashoba Tech’s CTI program will present additional programs in fall 2023 and spring 2024. Visit www.nashobatech.net and click on Community Ed/NCTI for more details.
westfordcat.org
https://westfordcat.org/2023/07/nashoba-tech-adult-education-grad-starts-new-career-in-plumbing/
