Mike Birchett Shares Message of Education with Payson High School Students

Mike Birchett of Admiral Plumbing was the Payson High School, Windows on the Workplace presenter for December 2011. Birchett, a Master Plumber, is the owner of Admiral Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, in business since 2001.

Birchett shared his love of learning with the students and said the most important thing to do, if interested in a career in plumbing, is to get a good education.

“A lot of people think, oh, I’ll just go into plumbing, you don’t have to know much, but it takes 4 years of school and 8,000 hours of apprenticeship. Just like with computers and anything else it gets more and more sophisticated. The best thing is to get your education,” Birchett said.

He added, “It takes another four years to be a Master Plumber and own your own business.”

Birchett said a career in plumbing is rewarding because of the ability to see a project from start to finish.

“I love using my mind to figure out a problem, and to solve those problems,” Birchett said.

Students were interested to find out the skills necessary to be a successful plumber. Birchett said the job requires an aptitude for electronics, the ability to do math, the desire to get out and meet new people, salesmanship, and being physically fit.

“I was surprised to find out how much goes into getting a job in plumbing,” said Dexter Bennet.

Birchett’s final advice to the students when considering a job choice:

“As with any job, you get out what you put into it.”