The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) launched the Registered Pool Maintenance and Service Technician Apprenticeship Program this August to help build a more skilled and diverse workforce, expanding the workforce of service professionals in the aquatics industry.

The new PHTA Registered Pool Maintenance and Service Technician Apprenticeship Program

™ is a nationwide program, registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, allowing the pool and spa profession to be more competitive with other industries that are also struggling for entry-level talent.

And, because the PHTAapprenticeship program uses industry-developed competency and ANSI-approved standards developed by PHTA, employers and apprentices are assured that the program delivers the content needed to develop qualified service professionals.

By combining paid on-the-job training with online education, apprentices receive a skills-based education that prepares them for good-paying jobs – and helps employers recruit, build, and retain a highly skilled workforce.

Additionally, as an apprenticed occupation, pool service is now considered a skilled trade, which opens all kinds of doors with high school guidance counselors, veterans, and community workforce boards.

For PHTA members across the country, the program, will help close the skills gap in the pool and hot tub industry by allowing individuals to earn wages while receiving hands-on training to successfully fill the need for skilled service technician and maintenance professionals.

According to PHTA President and CEO Sabeena Hickman, CAE, now more than ever, the pool industry is seeking a workforce to keep up with the demand of our products and services.

“The PHTA Registered Pool Maintenance and Service Technician Apprenticeship Program will expand opportunities to reskill displaced workers, upskill incumbent workers, and develop new entrants to the workforce.”

Franceen Gonzales, PHTA Chairman of the Board, said they are excited to offer the industry the opportunity to develop a skilled and educated workforce through their apprenticeship program.

“In partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, we will deliver a program that exceeds our members’ expectations and creates a new funnel of talented and trained employees,” Gonzales said.

The PHTA Registered Pool Maintenance and Service Technician Apprenticeship Program will leverage PHTA’s signature educational programming, aligned to its ANSI Standards and certifications, to cultivate pool service professionals who will be equipped to service and maintain aquatic environments. Upon completion of the program, apprentices will be eligible to take the exam for the PHTA certifications.

For more information and resources on the PHTA Apprenticeship Program visit www.apprenticeship.phta.org.