The Copper Development Association Inc. (CDA) recently participated in the United Association’s annual instructor training program at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan, providing a 20-hour course focused on copper tube and copper alloy joining methods, as well as identifying potential problems and troubleshooting.
The United Association (UA) represents plumbers, pipefitters, refrigeration technicians, sprinkler fitters, and related trades across more than 300 local unions in the United States and Canada. Its instructor training program prepares the educators responsible for apprenticeship and continuing education programs within those locals.
CDA’s course placed particular emphasis on soldering, brazing, and other copper joining methods. Forty-three participants enrolled this year, with 22 attending the morning session and 21 attending the afternoon session.
“Education matters because the trades need people who are committed not only to developing technical skills, but also to becoming excellent educators,” says Mike Belanger, CDA project manager. “When we prepare instructors to return to their local training programs with strong resources and practical experience, that knowledge reaches far beyond the people in the room.”
The CDA course aims to prepare participants to effectively teach soldering and brazing methods upon returning to their local training programs. Participants come from various unions and have varying levels of teaching experience, ranging from established instructors to newcomers. The course offers technical instruction, teaching resources, and practical exercises for future use.
This multiplier effect is crucial, as one instructor can teach multiple classes, allowing training delivered in Ann Arbor to benefit many more through local apprenticeship and continuing education programs.
The CDA course combines classroom instruction and hands-on shop work, focusing on topics like copper tubing, alloys, and joining methods. Participants work in pairs to complete 10 copper module assemblies, gaining experience with common challenges in teaching apprentices.
The week ends with a teaching exercise during which volunteers act as instructors and apprentices during a copper soldering project, reinforcing the course’s purpose. By the end, participants should be able to explain, demonstrate, and guide others through the process.
The UA program has been training instructors since 1955, offering certifications, associate degree programs with an equal mix of trade-specific and professional teaching courses. Instructor certification requires 200 hours of instruction over five years. Training coordinators enhance leadership within local unions by earning certification after an additional 120 hours of instruction. The program includes an annual event in Ann Arbor, as well as regional and online courses.
“Training the trainers is what makes this program so valuable,” Belanger says. “These educators leave with materials, resources, and experience they can take directly back to their own trade schools. They are prepared to carry that knowledge forward.”
CDA has a long-standing training relationship with the UA, dating back to 1955 when the Copper and Brass Research Association participated in the instructor training program. This year, three CDA representatives, including Marcus Elmer, Harold Moret, and Belanger, collaborated with two instructors to deliver the copper joining course.
The program also highlights the partnership between the UA and Washtenaw Community College, which provides facilities for a wide variety of technical education and fast-track training programs. For CDA, this involvement strengthens connections to educators teaching copper installation in the skilled trades.
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