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Insight from employers and apprentices is helping to shape Scotland’s apprenticeship framework
A review of Scotland’s plumbing and heating apprenticeship programme has been conducted to ensure it aligns with evolving sustainability demands.
Led by the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation (SNIPEF), BSE Skills, and Skills Development Scotland, employers and apprentices have worked to identify and agree on the essential skills and training required to meet the profession’s future requirements.
The process has involved consultations, workshops, and the establishment of working groups.
Commenting on the review, Stephanie Lowe, SNIPEF’s deputy chief executive, said: “The review has attracted unparalleled support from across the profession to advance training and development in low-carbon technologies for the next generation of plumbing and heating professionals.
“Guided by the expertise of Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Qualifications Authority, I am convinced that this collaborative endeavour will improve Scotland’s plumbing and heating apprenticeship going forward and reinforce the profession’s collective commitment to environmental stewardship."
John Doherty, director at John Doherty & Co and a participant in the review process, added: "As employers, we bring a unique perspective on what the apprenticeship programme should encompass, driven by our first-hand experience of this ever-evolving profession.
“This review has been instrumental in positioning our collective expertise and viewpoints at the core of the apprenticeship review. It is a definitive example of how collaboration between business and academia can significantly advance apprenticeship programmes, ensuring they meet future employer demands."
The review also aligns with the Construction Leadership Forum’s Construction Accord, which aims to support low-carbon skills development across Scotland’s construction apprenticeships.
Plans are underway for the newly updated apprenticeship framework to be approved by late 2024.
This is too little too late.
What Scotland needs to meet the current and future demand which is identified by ScotGov as up to 15,500 heat pump installers by 2030 is to adopt the IFATE Low Carbon Heat Pump apprenticeship.
Plumbing and Heat Pump Installers should be two seperate apprenticeships, like stonemasonry and bricklaying or wood machining and carpentry. SNIPEF by nature are following a plumbing agenda.