Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
Virtual Instruction Path Offers All Levels of Learning
The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) was founded in 1981 on the bedrock of education and training. For 2026, AFSA is pleased to announce that all four levels of its Sprinkler Fitting Apprentice Training will be offered as an Employee-Led Path (ELP) or Virtual Instruction Path (VIP). Both options provide expert instruction, whether you train in-house or elevate your apprentices’ experience with AFSA’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).
There are currently over 160 students in AFSA’s VIP courses. All four levels of VIP will have launch dates next year. Registration deadlines and lesson start dates are listed below.
Course Starts Early-Bird Ends Regular Ends Late Ends
Level 1 Feb. 19, 2026 Jan. 5, 2026 Feb. 9, 2026 Mar. 12, 2026
Level 2 Jan. 14, 2026 Nov. 30, 2025 Jan. 5, 2026 Feb. 4, 2026
Level 3 Mar. 5, 2026 Jan. 19, 2026 Feb. 23, 2026 Mar. 26, 2026
Level 4 Feb. 4, 2026 Dec. 23, 2025 Jan. 26, 2026 Feb. 25, 2026
Both paths (ELP and VIP) provide the related technical instruction (RTI) for registered apprenticeship and can be used to support those in a registered apprentice program (RAP) or expand their knowledge of sprinkler fitting. If you are in the process of setting up an RAP, AFSA is here to help.
Each level provides 10 months of education to accompany the employer’s on-the-job learning (OJL). The education includes the newly updated Sprinkler Fitting textbooks, two live lessons each month, performance tasks to reinforce the modules, self-study components, and assessments.
AFSA staff and SMEs instruct the lessons. Each live session runs two hours and includes discussion time. Lessons are offered twice daily to accommodate time zones and schedules. The full course calendar is provided in advance, containing specific dates and times for all lessons in the 10-month course, allowing employers and apprentices to plan ahead.
Performance tasks are the execution of items relevant to the lesson. They are opportunities for the apprentice to demonstrate mastery of a given task to the supervisor (employer). Examples of performance tasks include install a butterfly valve; identify specific information on a shop drawing; and clean, join, and install CPVC piping.
During the self-study portion, the apprentice is expected to read the accompanying sections supporting the lesson and review any add-on resources, such as videos or articles. AFSA’s Sprinkler Fitting series provides questions with each module to help guide apprentices and ensure key concepts are absorbed.
AFSA’s VIP virtual setting means no travel costs associated with the training. In addition, the flexibility of two sessions on class day provides the opportunity for participation while still prioritizing other projects that may fall on the same day. Leaving the classroom component up to AFSA also relieves your senior staff from instruction responsibilities.
NATIONAL GUIDELINE STANDARDS
AFSA provides a National Guideline Standard (NGS) registered with the Department of Labor (DOL). This can serve as the launch point for your RAP and expedite the registration process. Contact your regional DOL representative and tell them you want to use the AFSA NGS. For details, see “Starting an Apprenticeship Program” on AFSA’s website at firesprinkler.org.
AFSA has updated Appendix A of its National Guideline Standards for apprenticeship of sprinkler fitters to revise the Related Instruction Outline to correspond to the updated AFSA/NCCER Sprinkler Fitting series (4th edition), now that all four levels are published and available. This section of the standards details the Work Process Schedule and Related Instruction Outline.
ENROLL TODAY
Leave the heavy lifting to AFSA! We are here to help you develop your apprentices into a superior workforce. Don’t get left behind! Scan the QR code above, visit firesprinkler.org/vip, or email training@firesprinkler.org to learn more and enroll.