September 2002
Overflowing
The Institute of Plumbing has had a dramatic increase in calls relating to people who want to become plumbers. The majority of callers confessed to being swayed by all the media attention concerning the huge skills crisis in the plumbing industry. Around 90% of those are over 30 and are considering a career change. According to City and Guilds registrations for NVQ2 in Plumbing has increased 46% in a year! However, there are many barriers in the way of today's would-be-plumber.Technical Colleges across the UK are reporting a huge demand in places for plumbing courses. This should be good news, but it does highlight the fact that many colleges cannot cope with the numbers needed to help restore the industry. Many are put on waiting lists or told to try again next year.
Some colleges, such as Canterbury in Kent, use the BPEC Selection Test and interview potential plumbing students, which helps to determine if they can cope with the course work. The colleges that do not have this system often find that after a short period some students struggle to keep up, which usually leads to many dropping out.
There is also a shortage of plumbing teachers, which means some courses such as NVQ level 3 are actually cut. The Institute recommends this level to all students.
Andy Watts, Chief Executive of the Institute, commented: "These are only a few barriers to becoming a qualified plumber. Add to this the lack of financial assistance to people over 24 years and the problems of work placement, it is obvious that unless action is taken soon the skills crisis is going to be with us for many years. The problem has to be tackled from different areas to really make a difference. A key issue is giving trainees adequate and meaningful on-site experience."
ENDS (275 WORDS)
SEPTEMBER 2002
