As one of West Midland’s fastest-growing retailers for specialist plumbing and heating supplies, Bell Plumbing Supplies wanted to use its success to encourage the next generation into the sector.
Even though 17-year-old Luke Gayden and 22-year-old Jamie Lee O’Neill both joined Bell Plumbing Supplies as trade supplier apprentices in 2022, their entries into the construction sector were very different.
Salamander Pumps, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of domestic water pumps, has launched an innovative new online training tool, ‘eSchool’, featuring a host of helpful training modules, involving games, interactive imagery and animated technical videos, for installers and students alike.
The eSchool will help installers and college students learn more about Salamander’s products, their applications and best practice for installing their range of shower and whole house pumps.
WATCH: an exclusive look at how a water fitting is tested to become an ‘Approved Product’
To give an insight into how water fittings are tested, The Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS) has shared a behind the scenes, informative video detailing some of the intensive tests a tap goes through to ensure it complies with the relevant standards, before it can be granted Approved Product status.
The two-minute video illustrates tests such as:
Demand for smart meter training is heating up as firms race to meet the recent smart metering equipment technical specification 2 (SMETS 2), reports utilities specialist Develop Training Limited (DTL).
The government has called on energy companies to replace all old-style gas and electricity meters with smart meters.
But the roll out to 36 million households and small firms has been hit by delays, largely due to a shortage of skilled installers, and now DTL says the new SMETS2 standard has taken the demand for training to a new level.
Leading national home assistance provider to recruit 30 apprentices – ten new gas engineers and 20 new plumbing and drainage engineers as it grows its UK engineer network
Apprenticeship drive is the biggest in company’s history
One of the UK’s leading home assistance providers, HomeServe, is recruiting 30 new apprentices over the next six weeks – ten new gas engineers and 20 new plumbing and drainage engineers.
The Walsall-based company, named in the UK’s top three places to work by one of the world’s largest job sites Glassdoor earlier this year, is embarking on its biggest ever apprentice recruitment drive to support an increasing number of Customers based across the UK.
Plumbing and heating apprentices studying towards National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are now benefiting from special online training and in-class training packs prepared by industry-leading water treatment specialist Sentinel. Since launching, Sentinel’s training resources have been snapped up by higher education institutions wanting to equip apprentices with skills in best practice water treatment. The work-based apprentices are finding that the materials – which are often used as revision aids for central heating exams – fit in well with other coursework during their day-release visits to college.
Superior, a leading manufacturer of high integrity o-rings and seals, awarded 21 year old Ashleigh Phillips as its Apprentice of the Year, at an exclusive event on Wednesday March 8 at its headquarters in Ferndown.
The free event ‘Everything You Wanted To Know About Apprenticeships But Were Afraid To Ask’ took place at Superior to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (Monday March 6 – Friday March 10). It was attended by a variety of local Dorset employers, including Elite Marine Solutions and Whitefox Chartered Surveyors, showcasing how apprentices can benefit and add value to a business.
Develop Training Ltd (DTL) is the UK’s leading accredited provider of Compliance, Technical, and Safety training and has already made significant strides to address smart metering training needs in the energy sector.
The UK Government has challenged energy providers to install smart meters in the homes of all domestic customers and small business by the end of 2020. Although there are less than 4 years remaining The Times reported in December 2016 that in excess of 48 million meters are still to be installed.
Part of the problem for the energy supplies is their lack of trained engineers, but DTL is positioned and ready to play its part to help.
Plumbing and heating engineers are being encouraged to gain new skills through a new reward scheme.
The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (Training) Ltd., has 100 training rewards worth £150 each to give away to plumbing and heating companies.
The registered educational charity and sister company to the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), says its aim is to help safeguard the long term professional development of the industry by incentivising plumbing and heating engineers to update and expand their knowledge.
The reward can be used for a certificated course with a recognised training provider such as APHC, BPEC, City and Guilds and all UKAS approved ACS providers.
Graham Plumbers’ Merchant is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Heating Installer of the Year Awards 2017 for the second year.
The awards serve to emphasise the importance of high quality work and innovation within the sector by celebrating the plumbers and heating installers who offer high levels of technical proficiency, outstanding professionalism and exceptional service.
Entrants simply have to nominate a project they have worked on, which will then be judged by a panel of experts. The entries will then be whittled down until there is a winner from all 11 regions and then the overall winner will be decided by an online public vote.