Training and careers in sewer rehabilitation at a glance – Sewer Rehabilitation Blog
Today, as promised, the second part on career opportunities in sewer rehabilitation, and in more detail. The article answers some questions about training opportunities, lateral entry and career prospects.
As always, I hope you enjoy reading it and if you have any questions about the things described, please get in touch with us.
Profession in sewer rehabilitation - training and career opportunities at a glance
The lack of personnel in many professions and sectors can no longer be denied. For years, attention has been drawn to the increasing shortage of skilled workers, but there are no visible changes or even improvements in sight. Yet there are a whole host of professions that urgently need new apprentices and trainees in order to continue offering their services. The only sensible solution? Making the necessary and often unjustly maligned professions attractive again. This can be achieved by providing the right information and highlighting the benefits of the profession.
When you hear the term sewer renovation, the first thing that comes to mind is something rather negative: Dirt, grime, stench – all of these words buzz around in your mind. However, the work of a sewer renovator is so much more than meets the eye. First of all, you should be aware that the work of a sewer renovator is probably not always quite as fancy as that of an office worker. But that doesn’t make it any less important – on the contrary. We urgently need people who are professional and motivated to deal with sewer rehabilitation, because we all depend on a well-functioning sewer system. Everyday things, such as going to the toilet, often get lost in the daily grind. Yet our sewer system is a real luxury that many people in other countries can only dream of. This makes it all the more important to understand our sewer systems for what they really are – a real blessing and something we would probably be very reluctant to do without.
Training as a sewer renovator
The job of sewer rehabilitation is very different from that of a typical construction worker. It requires people with a technological and complex understanding. The work involved in sewer rehabilitation is very extensive and promises a lot of variety. Anyone interested in this profession will probably start by looking for a suitable apprenticeship. It is noticeable that there are no classic apprenticeships for sewer rehabilitation technicians. Instead, you can train as a pipe fitter or RKI specialist (pipe, sewer and industrial service). The training gives you a good insight into the world of pipe construction. Of course, this also includes the renovation part and everything that goes with it. Practical experience allows trainees to deepen their knowledge and broaden their experience.
What qualifications do you need to become a sewer renovator?
First and foremost, at least an intermediate school-leaving certificate (Realschule) is important – in some companies it is also possible to be offered an apprenticeship with a secondary school-leaving certificate – as well as an interest in the profession, of course. Basic technical knowledge and the motivation to expand this is also an advantage. It is also ideal if you already have some knowledge of environmental and water protection, as you will of course also be dealing with these topics when learning about sewer systems. Before you start your training as a sewer rehabilitation technician, or pipe rehabilitation in general, it also makes sense to arrange a trial day on the construction site. Even better, of course, is an internship where you can spend a few days seeing what happens on the construction site and what the daily work consists of. This also allows you to find out directly whether the work is right for you.
A certain level of physical fitness is also important, as the job is not for the faint-hearted: physical exertion is always required.
Good observation skills also ensure that you can work carefully and conscientiously.
Not afraid of dirt and waste water? Getting your hands dirty sounds good? Then this job could be just the thing for you.
What are the tasks of a sewer rehabilitator?
Depending on the apprenticeship in the field of pipe rehabilitation, more or less different tasks are involved. The profession of pipe, sewer and industrial service specialist (RKI) includes daily tasks such as working on sewers (maintenance and repair), inspecting sewers (with special cameras) and regularly recording the condition of property drainage systems.
Pipe fitters, on the other hand, are responsible for lowering various pipe parts, checking the pipe seal, assembling the pipe parts (welding, gluing) and securing pipe trenches.
If you want to work as a sewer builder, practical tasks such as repairing damaged pipes, leak testing, securing construction sites, surveying and many more are the order of the day.
In fact, there are other training professions. At first glance, these are not directly related to pipeline rehabilitation or sewer rehabilitation, but depending on the company, you can still work in the desired areas. These include commercial apprenticeships (office management), business administrators and industrial clerks.
As a sewer renovator, you make sure that everything runs smoothly within the sewer system. For this reason, special attention is paid to the repair, cleaning and inspection of sewers during training. In contrast to the past (a few decades ago), it is now practical to use great equipment for sewer rehabilitation. Sewer renovators use this to their advantage. With technically advanced high-pressure pumps, cameras and sometimes even helpful robots that can be controlled remotely, you can simplify your sewer rehabilitation work.
What salary can I expect as a specialist for raw materials, sewer and industrial services?
As I said, it very much depends on what training you ultimately do. In this article, we will give you a rough overview of the salary of an RKI specialist. It is best to ask the trainer or the training company directly.
Logically, the salary during training is not quite as high as after successful completion. In the first year of training, you receive around € 660-860. In the second, it’s already €800-900 and in the third even up to €1,000. Compared to other apprenticeships, this remuneration is really impressive. After the apprenticeship, as during the apprenticeship, it depends on where exactly you work.
After successfully completing your training, experience shows that you will start with a gross salary of € 2,000 – € 2,500. The final salary depends very much on whether the company pays according to collective agreements or not. After a few years of professional experience and an increasing level of responsibility, the salary can also increase. This means that you can expect a gross salary of around € 2,800.
Even more interesting facts about the training of sewer renovators
The apprenticeship usually lasts three years. After that, of course, you have further opportunities for career advancement in addition to professional experience. More on this in the lower section of the article.
What career opportunities are there for sewer renovators?
Once you have completed your training as a sewer rehabilitation technician, you are naturally delighted with this initial success. But what happens next? What options do you have? If you decide to stay in the same company where you have already completed your training, you will initially hope to be taken on successfully. In most cases, this should work out well, as companies are naturally interested in their newly trained specialists and would like them to work in their own company.
In fact, most companies are not only interested in the classic takeover after training, but also in the young worker moving up the career ladder, as the company naturally also benefits from motivated, qualified project and operations managers.
A career in sewer rehabilitation - but how?
Even during your training, you can recognize what you are particularly good at, enjoy and are interested in. These are precisely the areas in which specialization can be useful. Of course, the possibilities here are very broad. If you want to stay in sewer rehabilitation, you can specialize in this area.
In addition to specialization, you can also do advanced training.
The next step could also be a master craftsman title. The master craftsman title gives you more responsibility and your salary is also adjusted to this additional work. You can earn up to €3,500 with a master craftsman title. This is a further training course that is taken at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The possibility of a master craftsman title sounds tempting, and rightly so, as you can build up your own small company with ambition. Particularly interesting: as a master craftsman, you can train your own apprentices. A real role reversal within four years, because that’s roughly how long the training lasts. Alternatively, you can also complete a degree course to climb the career ladder.
Many people wish for this complete independence. As the crowning glory of the career ladder, it is often seen as particularly desirable, albeit with a few hurdles. Of course, you need sufficient professional experience to achieve this. You should also have business knowledge and a certain degree of self-confidence if you want to become self-employed as a sewer rehabilitation specialist.
The classic and most commonly chosen path here is RKI training, followed by a master craftsman’s degree and then self-employment or a career as a site manager. When starting out as a qualified civil engineer in planning and organization, there is also the option of completing a Master’s degree (Master of Engineering).
The beautiful sides of the sewer rehabilitation profession
As with all other professions, sewer rehabilitation is not suitable for everyone. And that’s a good thing! Because it should be done by people who have the talent for it and enjoy doing it. Whether you are currently looking for a job, want to make a career change or are an apprentice immersed in all the knowledge of sewer systems – there is plenty to explore and learn here.
There are a whole host of different job boards that offer jobs and apprenticeships in this channel industry. Great information and job offers can be found, for example, at: https: //www.vdrk.de/de/jobboerse – or on our own job portal: https://bodenbender.com/jobs/
As already mentioned – even as a career changer, you have great opportunities to find a real dream job here. In today’s world, security is a particularly important issue for many people. With the profession of a sewer renovator, you have definitely found a job that is absolutely crisis-proof and will also endure in the growth market.
We all need a functioning sewer system and are grateful for the work that goes into it every day! Being part of this exciting profession is therefore a real honor.
See you next time,
Your Jonas
