The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) has announced a new Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician Apprenticeship, which has received approval by the Secretary of State for Education, The Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP.
The structure and content of the apprenticeship was decided by the Employer Group, made up of various employers ranging from sole traders and large businesses and was chaired by APHC Member David Merrett from Merrett’s Heating Services.
Supported by APHC, a review of the current apprenticeship routes was undertaken by the group who identified a need for an apprenticeship for businesses working on larger buildings and systems as this has been an area that has been missing from apprenticeships for some time.
As a result, once someone has completed their core plumbing content, there are now three pathways to choose from: gas leading to Gas Safe registration, environmental technologies (including solar thermal and air source heat pumps) leading to Competent Persons Scheme and Microgeneration Scheme and now this new non-domestic plumbing route. The non-domestic plumbing route will cover plumbing systems found in non-domestic buildings, for example, washrooms and larger above ground drainage systems.
The APHC says the apprenticeship will be ready for delivery and with registrations open for new starters and transfers by June 2024.
Graeme Dryden, Deputy CEO & Technical Services Manager at the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors commented: “This review has demonstrated that businesses in the modern plumbing and domestic heating industry need workforce who can adapt to changing technologies across several complex systems in a range of buildings and be at the forefront of meeting challenges like net zero, while making sure we maintain and continue to provide existing plumbing and domestic heating systems. The revisions to the apprenticeship will deliver a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce and provide a solid foundation for future development in new and exciting areas.”
