Guild Education

Updated, interactive assessments and curriculum will align training with the needs of employers

Penn Foster, which partners with employers and working learners around the country to create new pathways to economic opportunity, today announced the release of an updated training program designed to help individuals access plumbing careers. Now available to workers and job-seekers across the country, Penn Foster’s Plumber Career Diploma includes dynamic content and assessments designed to both improve accessibility and align training with the demands of employers.

Penn Foster’s short-form online programs are designed to provide new pathways to career opportunities that are both accessible and affordable for working learners. The Plumber Career Diploma will include interactive simulations to help learners practice core plumbing skills like how to read blueprints, select and install piping and plumbing fixtures, and understand the basic codes, regulations, and standards that plumbers encounter. It will also feature more frequent, low-stakes assessments to provide information about performance and skill attainment, and help learners prepare for roles at power plants, water treatment centers, or as independent contractors.

“Skilled trades like plumbing have long provided a pathway to stable, in-demand and fulfilling careers,” said Dara Warn, Chief Customer Officer at Penn Foster. “With these updated programs, we’re helping working learners around the country learn the skills they need to access fulfilling, resilient careers — in the industries that will play a critical role in the country’s economic recovery.”

Penn Foster’s curriculum in middle-skill fields, including veterinary, healthcare, and skilled trades, is used by more than 300,000 learners each year. Through partnerships with leading employers and workforce organizations, from Guild Education and YouthBuild to Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, Penn Foster provides training and reskilling programs backed by sophisticated labor market analytics that help job-seekers and working learners access opportunities in high-growth industries.

For more information, visit www.pennfoster.edu.