School leavers and career changers can now access advice on the best routes to becoming a qualified plumbing and heating engineer following a new guide produced by The Plumbing & Heating Skills Partnership (PHSP). Available online, the guidance maps out straightforward messages on the right qualifications and training needed, tips for choosing a training provider and the warning signs that could mean the training won’t lead to qualified status.
With some training providers offering intensive courses over a few weeks or months, the clear advice from PHSP is that it takes four years to become fully qualified for those with no prior experience. The importance of work experience is also stressed, with the need to spend time on site with a qualified tradesperson to build skills, confidence and knowledge over a long period of time, alongside any classroom learning.
When choosing a training provider, the PHSP recommends looking carefully at the small print, avoiding hard sells, checking accreditations and finding out whether any existing qualifications can be recognised. Funding may also be available in certain circumstances. Warning signs to look out for include packages of shorter qualifications that when combined do not lead to qualified status, questionable finance or loan sales techniques and particular contract wording that could have significant consequences.
Established in 2017 following the closure of SummitSkills, the PHSP is supported by the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), the BPEC Charity, and the Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF) and is aimed at developing standards, qualifications and apprenticeships for the plumbing and domestic heating industry.
“It’s vital to choose the right training course as not all will give you the skills you’ll need to become a fully qualified plumbing and heating engineer,” says Duncan Wilson, chairman of the PHSP. “Take the wrong route and you may not be able to properly embed your learning and knowledge and you are potentially wasting time and money. We hope our advice is useful to all those looking to enter the industry and gives them the authoritative guidance on not only what training is needed, but also what to avoid.”
To read the full advice visit www.phsp.org.uk/training-advice/
