BPEC, a not-for-profit body that supports training and skills development across the UK plumbing and heating profession, is investing £15,000 to support the recently completed revision of the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for plumbing and heating, and to progress the work on the Framework and Assessment Strategy for the Scottish Plumbing and Heating Apprenticeship.
This investment will support work 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 wider stakeholders, to ensure Scotland’s plumbing and heating apprenticeship remains ‘modern, credible and fit for future purpose’.
Neil Collishaw, chief executive of 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 chief executive of SNIPEF, added, “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.”
The Scottish Plumbing and Heating Apprenticeship is a four-year Level 3 programme, combining employment experience and training across plumbing and heating disciplines, including water, gas, and low-carbon technologies.
NOS are publicly available and can be viewed at: https://ukstandards.org.uk/en
