Many trade industries have apprenticeship programs, but until a few years ago, the pool industry wasn’t one of them. That changed in 2020 when the Pool & Spa Apprenticeship and Training Committee’s program was approved, followed by programs from the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance.
“It’s a pool service program put together by pool service people, and that’s how this all came about,” says PSATC Chairman David Hawes.
Seth Ewing, PHTA senior director of member programs and services, says PHTA put together its programs to create a roadmap for the different paths in the pool industry, ranging from engineering to service to construction.
The PHTA has two national apprenticeship initiatives approved by the U.S. Department of Labor: the Pool Maintenance and Service Technician Program and the Pool Installer Technician Program, each backed by industry standards from the American National Standards Institute.
“The apprenticeship program has all the tools and resources laid out,” Ewing says. “It has ways for [employers] to track [apprentice] progress, evaluate them, mentor them and guide them, and it gives them the full path for education.”
The PHTA works with employers to find grants for subsidizing costs associated with an apprenticeship and helps apprentices prepare to earn industry certifications.
While the PHTA and PSATC programs differ in requirements, cost and curriculum, the end result is the same: “To train service people and get them as knowledgeable as possible to become productive, profitable members of whatever pool maintenance firm they’re a part of,” Hawes says.
PSATC anticipates rolling out another program as well as a national version in 2025, Hawes says.
Being in this program has made me better… I’m capable of anything that gets thrown at me. I plan on a better future for myself.”
Rhiannon Boro, SkyBlue Pool Supply & Service
For Rhiannon Boro, a soon-to-be graduate of the PSATC program, “being in this program has made me better. When I first started, I didn’t know much, but now I know a lot more,” she says.
As a technician at SkyBlue Pool Supply & Service, Boro works on all types of pools.
“I’m capable of anything that gets thrown at me,” she says. “I plan on a better future for myself and maybe getting into replacing light fixtures and underwater main drain covers.”
With two years under her belt, Boro is excited to see what opportunities the industry has to offer.
For Boro’s boss, Ryan Carlson, president of Skyblue, choosing to invest in her was a no-brainer: “Rhiannon [Boro] is a rock star,” he says. “I’m blessed that she’s a part of my company.”
So far, four out of eight of Carlson’s technicians are either in or have gone through the PSATC program, and he hopes to have all his employees trained through PSATC.
“If they show promise and look like they want to learn and grow and are looking long term, then we want to invest in them,” he says.
The investment of less than $3,000 per employee is worthwhile to Carlson and something he wishes was available when he began.
“I couldn’t even imagine what it would be if I had this type of training when I was starting in the business back when I was a kid,” Carlson says. “It would have probably pushed me forward five or 10 years, if not farther down the road.”
Investing in employees, and in turn, companies, helps to better the industry, he says, turning the pool industry away from the stigma of the “typical pool guy” who does the work as a part-time job into a viable, rewarding career where the employee is an expert in their field.
“The apprenticeship program is like the cornerstone to help companies raise their level of professionalism and get their people on a good footing,” Carlson says. “And if they want to continue to grow and grow in other aspects in the industry, this is a huge building block for that.”
For someone deciding if it’s worth enrolling their employees, Carlson has the following advice: “Don’t sign up so we can surpass you and dominate your business.”
If you’re not in a position where you’re learning and putting your technicians in an environment where they’re constantly learning and growing, you’re falling behind.”
Ryan Carlson, SkyBlue Pool Supply & Service
But in all seriousness, he says, “If you’re not investing in your people, your business is stagnant and dying. [The industry] is constantly changing. If you’re not in a position where you’re learning and putting your technicians in an environment where they’re constantly learning and growing, you’re falling behind.”
Owen McCarter, a service technician at Payan Pool Service, started in the pool industry by reaching out to the PSATC. He’s been in the industry for just over a year and has almost completed his apprenticeship.
“Customers are going to notice [the knowledge you’ve gained], and that helps you build a resume you can use,” he says. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, I stacked shelves for two years at this place.’ ”
Being a part of the program has been rewarding and has given McCarter a sense of pride, he says.
“My recommendations are based on education and experience in the field,” he says. “My opinion is respected by my customers, and I greatly value that.”
Javier Payan, president of Payan Pool Service and treasurer and chief financial officer of the PSATC, started servicing pools in 1985.
“Today, everything is complicated,” Payan says. “A new person coming into the industry is overwhelmed with the vast amount of product options and water chemistry concepts, and the old way of training people just isn’t enough.”
That leaves business owners with a choice to make: neglect or invest in employees. Payan chooses the latter.
“They are getting interactive instructional training from people that I would consider the best and brightest in the pool industry,” he says.
Pool & Spa Apprenticeship and Training Committee Program
Options: Pool & Spa Maintenance Specialist; Pool & Spa Service Technician (launching in 2025)
Duration: One year
Hours: 2,000 hours of on-the-job training, with a minimum of 144 hours of related instruction by experts in the industry
Costs: $2,900 for the first apprentice, with discounts for additional apprentices
Curriculum: Live and on-demand classes and coursework covering safety, business, water quality, structures and finishes, pump motors, control systems, electrical and more
Certification area: California; launching nationwide in 2025
Learn more at poolapprenticeship.com
Pool & Hot Tub Alliance Apprenticeship Program
Options: Pool Maintenance and Service Technician Program or the Pool Installer Technician Program
Duration: 12-24 months
Hours: 2,000-3,500 hours of on-the-job training and 144-228 hours of online classroom-style instruction
Costs: $1,799-$2,574 per apprentice
Curriculum: On-demand training covering topics such as pool construction, confined spaces, OSHA training, emergency response planning, first aid and safety, hazardous waste management, pool operator primer, aquatic play features and more.
Certification area: Nationwide
Learn more at apprenticeship.phta.org
