A five-day plumbing course has been accused of encouraging inexperienced trainees to overcharge customers, according to an investigation by the Daily Mail.

The newspaper reports that the course, run by Taher Shah under the name Plumbers Goldmine Academy, promises beginners the equivalent of several years’ experience in less than a week, at a cost of £395. It claims students can recover the fee from their first job.

An undercover reporter attending a course at an industrial estate in Birmingham was told that plumbing skills could be learned quickly and that a significant part of the training focused on sales techniques rather than technical competence. According to the Mail, instructors said the course was divided equally between basic practical instruction and guidance on maximising earnings from customers.

The investigation alleges that trainees were advised to vary prices substantially for the same work, depending on the customer, and were encouraged to assess how much a client might be willing to pay. The reporter said they were also told to create the impression of consulting an office or manager when negotiating prices, despite there being no such oversight.

The newspaper further reports that comments were made during the course about targeting certain customers and avoiding others, with claims that some groups were more likely to challenge prices. These remarks were described by the Mail as being directed at students during group instruction.

The course operates amid a national shortage of qualified plumbers. The UK Trade Skills Index 2023 estimates that at least 70,000 new plumbers will be needed by 2032.

Kevin Wellman, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, told the Mail that plumbing is a highly skilled profession requiring a four-year apprenticeship. He warned that fast-track courses are not recognised qualifications and could pose risks to both trainees and the public through poor workmanship or safety failures.

In response, a spokesman for the course said it offers only a basic introduction to plumbing and does not claim to produce fully qualified plumbers. The spokesman denied that trainees were encouraged to overcharge or target specific groups of customers, describing such allegations as false. He said students are told to continue learning and to undertake only work they can carry out safely.

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