Whittier Union Adult School Plumbing Program Success Recognized by South Bay Workforce

The Whittier Union Adult School’s (WUAS) Plumbing 1 class has served as a pipeline of employment since its inception in 2022, with the career technical education (CTE) course providing students with expert guidance that emphasizes employability, efficiency, accuracy, and relationship-building.

Preparing the next generation of plumbers, the class currently has an 80% employment rate. The rapid success of the program has been recognized by the South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB), who awarded WUAS with its 2025 Outstanding Program Performance Award. The school will receive its award at SBWIB’s 30th Annual Awards Ceremony, held Oct. 30 at the Torrance Marriott South Bay.

“This award is for our students,” WUAS instructor Giovanni Masia said. “They are doing all the work and making all the right connections. I am so proud of them. Thank you to the South Bay Workforce Investment Board for their recognition.”

Plumbing 1 teaches students the essentials of the profession, and is paired with a math component that incorporates basic arithmetic, fractions, geometry, trigonometry, and algebra, skills that will make students better plumbers, and are mandatory for plumbers aspiring to join a union, which requires a math evaluation.

Masia, who is a licensed contractor and real estate agent and former math teacher with Los Angeles Unified, also stresses mastering soft skills, which can lead to lucrative careers. These skills include resume-writing, mock interviews, and relationship-building.

“Contracting is about building relationships,” Masia said. “Relationships are the key to your success as a contractor. The stronger the relationship, the more your business will grow. When you establish trust and do the job efficiently and properly, you can offer more services and your chances of building a successful business increases significantly.”

Masia teaches his students to be respectful of their surroundings, whether they are working at a business or a residence. Cleaning up completely after a job, even if the job is not complete and will take another day, is one way to win over new customers, he said.

Masia also underscores the importance of having real estate expertise.

“I teach my students to learn everything they can about a property before they start the job,” Masia said. “Many times, a residence has been modified, quite often without the required permits. Not only can you offer to bring the residence up to legal code, but the homeowner is impressed with your knowledge, which can lead to better jobs and better pay.”

WUAS’ Plumbing 1 class is the second program to be recognized by SBWIB. The school’s Electrician program was recognized with the award in 2022 for its 89% employment rate. The success of that program inspired WUAS Principal Margie Moriarty and Assistant Principal Juan Anzaldo to create a similar trade program that could lead to instant employment.

To make this happen, Moriarty and Anzaldo met with representatives of the Plumbers Union Local 78, local plumbing business owners, and America’s Job Center of California, and formulated the direction and curriculum of the plumbing program, with the help of Masia.

Plumbing students meet Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. for nine weeks. Tuition for the course is $850, which includes $350 of plumbing tools and a tool bag that the students keep. For more information on the Plumbing program and other courses, visit the school’s website and explore the course catalog.

The SBWIB serves the 11 cities in the South Bay region, providing workforce planning to keep people employed and ensure businesses succeed.

“Congratulations to Giovanni Masia and his students. The work they have done is nothing less than inspiring,” Moriarty said. “We are overjoyed to once again be recognized by SBWIB. This reflects the hard work and dedication we see here at Whittier Union Adult School every day. We are proud to serve the Whittier community.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS 

WUHSD_PLUMBING 1: Whittier Union Adult School’s Plumbing 1 class was recently recognized by the South Bay Workforce Investment Board with the 2025 Outstanding Program Performance Award, honoring the school for training the next generation of plumbers. The class has an 80% employment rate.

WUHSD_PLUMBING 2: Whittier Union Adult School Plumbing instructor Giovanni Masia (center) helped to create the school’s Plumbing 1 course, which has served as a pipeline for employment since it debuted in 2022, with the career technical education course providing residents with expert guidance that emphasizes efficiency, accuracy, and relationship-building.