CAREERS IN THE PLUMBING & HEATING INDUSTRY

Plumber, Heating Engineer or Gas Engineer are all recognised professions in the Building Services sector that require a high level of training, substantial work based experience and industry recognised qualifications.

The plumbing and heating industry holds many diverse career paths, the potential for good wages and the opportunity for individuals to run their own business. Often many skilled ‘trades people’ progress onto design, consultancy, teaching, supervisory or management, making the building services industry a career with a future.

What kind of person do you need to be?

• Do you enjoy working with your hands in a practical manner?
• Would you prefer to do a job that might be more physically demanding?
• Are you willing to work in a variety of environments and in all sorts of weather?
• Are you able to work individually as well as part of a team?
• Are you interested in acquiring technical skills and achieving recognised qualifications?

It is universally agreed by employers, contractors, trade associations and the vast majority of those within the trade that the best method of entering the industry and achieving recognised qualifications is by means of an Apprenticeship.

Take a look at these videos that show apprentice Plumbers in the workplace and hear them share their experience.

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS

An Apprenticeship is the preferred means of achieving nationally recognised qualifications in the Plumbing, Heating and Gas industry.

It combines on the job (at work) experience, with off the job (in college) training and enables the learner to ‘earn while they learn’.

These courses are aimed at 16+ year olds employed as an Apprentice or Trainee Plumber/Heating engineer seeking to gain the industry recognised qualifications.

Applicants should be registered onto a recognised Apprenticeship scheme with a specialist training provider or their local college and be fully employed within the Plumbing & Heating industry.

Apprentices generally attend college for one day per week and spend the other four days in the workplace.

Depending on the employer, apprentices may be expected to work in occupied domestic homes, on new build housing sites or on commercial construction sites in city centres.

APPRENTICESHIP IN PLUMBING (NVQ LEVEL 2)

This ‘Apprenticeship’ in association with JTL is based on the apprentice successfully completing two qualifications.

• City & Guilds (6189-11) NVQ Level 2 Diploma in Plumbing & Heating
• City & Guilds Functional Skills Level 2

The off the job training is Part time @ 1 day per week. This program is scheduled over a period of 24 months

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIP IN PLUMBING (NVQ LEVEL 3)

This ‘Advanced Apprenticeship’ in association with JTL is based on the apprentice successfully completing the main qualification units and a set of units from one of the ‘fuel option routes’.

• City & Guilds (6189-31/32/33/34) NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Domestic Plumbing & Heating
+
• Environmental Technologies (Solar Thermal pathway)

The off the job training is Part time @ 1 day per week. This program is scheduled over a period of 18 months

There are also plenty of opportunities for our learners to acquire 'additional' qualifications at the completion of the 'Advanced Apprenticeship' in order to further their career and register with ‘Competence Persons Schemes’.

APPRENTICESHIPS, EMPLOYMENT & CAREERS ADVICE

InTAPlumb offer independent advice and guidance for those seeking an Apprenticeship, employment or further progression in the industry. We have established links with many stakeholders within the training and skills network and some of the best advice and guidance can be found from our recommendations below.

www.jtltraining.com
JTL are the leading apprenticeship provider in the U.K. Building Services sector. They manage and provide funding for apprenticeships in Plumbing, Electrical, Heating and Ventilating and Engineering Maintenance. You can apply to JTL for an ‘apprenticeship’ in your chosen discipline by completing an ‘on-line’ application form. The JTL website has lots of information sections including, careers, case studies, videos and downloads. There is also a section that advertises ‘live’ apprenticeship vacancies.

www.gov.uk/guidance/plumbing-and-heating-apprenticeships
This is the UK governments ‘apprenticeship service’. On their web-site you can find advice and guidance for young people and employers interested in Plumbing Apprenticeships. There is also a section that advertises ‘live’ apprenticeship vacancies.

InTAPlumb’s employment in the Plumbing industry video may help answer some of your questions.

WOMEN IN PLUMBING

At InTAPlumb we have a proud history of supporting many female apprentice plumbers through their Plumbing apprenticeship and going on to becoming fully qualified. We hope that the stories of some of them can inspire more girls to enter the trade.

Jane Dixon-Halsall was an apprentice Plumber with Pimlico Plumbers in London. See her featured in this City and Guilds magazine article. click here

Lily Clarke was a JTL apprentice plumber and has now been inspired to set up her own gas apprenticeship scheme. See her featured in this News Shopper article on the Learning for Life page - Click here.

Take a look at these JTL videos that show female JTL apprentices in the workplace.

'WATER SAFE' are supporting a campaign to encourage more female Plumbers in the UK
https://www.watersafe.org.uk/news/latest_news/get_girls_plumbing_campaign_launched/