BPEC invests £15,000 to modernise Scotland’s Plumbing and Heating Apprenticeship

The British Plumbing Employers Council (BPEC) has invested £15,000 to help modernise Scotland’s Plumbing and Heating Apprenticeship. 

The funding will go towards the recently completed update of the National Occupational Standards (NOS) and support the ongoing work on the Apprenticeship Framework and Assessment Strategy.

The work is led by the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF) in collaboration with employers, apprentices, training providers, Skills Development Scotland, SQA Awarding, SQA Accreditation and other industry groups. 

The aim is to keep the Apprenticeship relevant and up to date for the future.

Neil Collishaw, CEO of the BPEC, said: “BPEC’s charitable mission is to raise the knowledge and skills of the UK plumbing and heating workforce, and this investment directly reflects that purpose on multiple fronts. 

“Supporting SNIPEF in this work will help ensure apprenticeships and standards remain the bedrock of our profession, as well as giving employers confidence, apprentices opportunity and consumers the assurance of high-quality work.

“The challenge is to ensure assessment models reflect real-world practice while upholding quality and consistency across the profession. This is about balancing rigour with reality.”

Stephanie Lowe, deputy CEO of SNIPEF, said: “This support will help ensure Scotland’s Modern Apprenticeship in Plumbing and Heating remains relevant, credible and inclusive, producing highly skilled professionals equipped to work on safety-critical water systems as well as supporting the continued transition to low-carbon and sustainable technologies.”