The Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician Apprenticeship Board has announced that the Government has approved the Apprenticeship Assessment Plan for England.
The Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician Apprenticeship Board was formed in December 2016 to ensure the future success of English plumbing and domestic heating apprenticeships and following the approval of the Assessment Plan, the Board is now in dialogue with the Government over the technical detail.
The Assessment Plan provides a prospectus for students, training providers and assessing organisations in detailing what is involved in the Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician Apprenticeship. The apprenticeship will typically take 48 months to complete with successful completion resulting in an NVQ Level 3 Plumbing & Heating Qualification. The apprentices will undertake a structured programme of study whilst in suitable employment and complete on-programme training and assessment involving a series of knowledge based and practical assessments. Successful completion of the Apprenticeship Qualification will result in a grade being awarded of a Pass, Merit or Distinction.
For companies that are members of a competent person scheme and the Gas Safe Register, the Apprenticeship Qualification will deliver individuals who meet the competence requirements to be able to work through a competent person scheme for oil and solid fuel and the Gas Safe Register for gas.
The overriding goal of the Apprenticeship Qualification is to deliver an appropriately skilled plumbing and heating workforce in England, able to work at a ‘world-class’ standard.
Moving forward the Board, in consultation with industry stakeholders and delivery partners, will ensure that the Assessment Specification is robust enough and that the correct equipment and procedures are being utilised by training providers. Ultimately, the Board will be responsible for ensuring that there will be adoption and industry compliance with the approved Quality Assurance Processes, which are detailed in the approved Assessment Plan.
The Board was assembled by and is administered by APHC and CIPHE, the two leading membership organisations within the plumbing and heating industry, who joined forces to create an industry partnership set on achieving the ultimate goal of producing a world class plumbing and heating workforce.
Graeme Dryden, APHC’s Technical Services Manager, has been involved in developing the Apprenticeship Standard since the project’s inception in 2014, commented: “The Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician Apprenticeship Board is playing a key role in continuing the work of the previous Employer Group and working in conjunction with BPEC, City & Guilds, EAL, Baxi Heating, JTL, Leicester College and NAPIT, is ensuring the apprenticeships are able to deliver the key skills required whilst also helping safeguard the long-term development of the plumbing and heating industry.”
The Board is working towards an official launch of the new Apprenticeship Standard in January 2018.
