Restoring balance with new plumbing standards

Following its work campaigning for a series of new plumbing apprenticeships in England, the CIPHE has announced that the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has approved the development of the new level 2 and level 3 plumbing apprenticeship standards it proposed.

“The Institute’s legacy of representing the collective voices of the plumbing and heating industry – not just in the UK, but worldwide – as well as the members and employers that it represents, continues with the introduction of the new Plumbing Apprenticeship Standard,” says Kevin Wellman, CEO of the CIPHE.

Cracks in the system

The journey to developing the new standard began with a government move to reduce water waste. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimates that over 400,000,000 litres of clean water is wasted every day in the UK through preventable leaks such as ‘leaky loos’, and the CIPHE was asked to help find a solution.

With the source of many other leaks stemming from plumbing systems inside domestic properties and commercial businesses, the question arose as to why some plumbers were no longer repairing basic items, such as float-operated valves, taps and WC siphons/flap valves that were causing the leaks in the first place. For those inside the industry, the answer seemed obvious.

“A study of the current Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing and Domestic Heating showed that maintenance of systems was no longer being taught as a practical subject, the way it had been when there were separate NVQ Level 2 and NVQ Level 3 qualifications,” explains Wellman. “It seemed to be a case of a lost ability due to an insufficiency of a straight Level 3 qualification that wasn’t being picked up during the training or at End Point Assessment. Through IfATE, the Department for Education asked the CIPHE what could be done to rectify the situation.”

Industry opinion

The CIPHE’s investigation included an education survey, the results of which made interesting reading. An astounding 90% of respondents from across the plumbing and heating profession expressed a wish to see the return of level 2 and level 3 plumbing qualifications in England – a system that works well in Northern Ireland.

Additional concerns expressed through the survey centred around those potential apprentices who aren’t able to enrol on a plumbing apprenticeship course due to their employer not engaging in the installation of a fuel or source of heat, such as a boiler or a heat pump.

Many learners are turned away each academic year because they cannot meet the requirements of the pathways and on-site assessment in the current plumbing standard. However, the new standards will address this imbalance.

Following the publishing of the results of the survey, IfATE asked the CIPHE to form a Plumbing Employers’ Group (PEG) and draft out:

• level 2 and level 3 plumbing standards proposals
• End Point Assessment plan
• a Level 2 and Level 3 mandated qualification
• justification for a mandated qualification.

There are over 30 members of the CIPHE’s PEG and meeting minutes are shared with IfATE in the interests of transparency.

Poor performance

It’s understandable that the CIPHE’s intentions with submitting new level 2 and level 3 plumbing standards have been questioned, particularly when an updated version of the Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing and Domestic Heating has just been released. However, the results from the first three end point assessments (EPA) speak volumes about the qualification.

“The UK government’s own statistics show that overall, the success rate for this standard is a mere 13% and for 2024 alone, a demoralising 11.44%,” points out Wellman. “It is obvious to those who care to examine the data that this cannot be allowed to continue. The feeling is that the latest version of the EPA, which features seven days of assessments, will only make a bad situation worse. Already, communications within the education sector show that many colleges and assessment centres are turning their backs on plumbing and closing their plumbing centres down. Newcastle College group, Stephenson’s College and others have all removed the Level 3 Diploma of Plumbing and Domestic Heating from their portfolio of apprenticeships.

“Employers have the right to insist that their apprentice is taught on a course that is fit for purpose. Many colleges are turning learners away because of this very problem and employers, quite correctly, see this as a failing of the apprenticeship system. What was once an over-subscribed subject is rapidly becoming a pariah in the eyes of further education. It is a situation that our members, our employers and others within the building services industry recognise as one that cannot, under any circumstances, be allowed to continue.”

The sector has a long-held legacy of protecting public health. It was 180 years ago that Dr John Snow discovered the cholera bacteria in a standpipe on a busy London street where many locals drew their water supply. The tap had already played its part in the demise of thousands of Londoners, with many more dying before the problem was eradicated.

“It was legislation, regulation and the correct training of plumbers and other water professionals that helped to eradicate the disease from the UK water supplies,” points out Wellman.

But, he says, serious health issues caused by poor sanitation and plumbing are not a thing of the past. “In 2024, other problems, such as legionnaires’ disease, still serve to remind us how vital a supply of clean, wholesome water is in the health and wellbeing of the population of the UK. It is a duty of the CIPHE to ensure that the training of the nation’s plumbers remains up to date, professional, correct and safe, which is why we campaigned for new the Plumbing Apprenticeship Standard.”

New standards

Following a lengthy consultation process, IfATE has approved the development of new Level 2 and Level 3 Plumbing Apprenticeship Standards, proposed by the Plumbing Employers’ Group (PEG).

“Against a backdrop of falling commencements and completions of the current apprenticeship, the PEG believes this development is crucial as we face a projected need for 73,700 new plumbers by 2032,” says Wellman. “Overall, current construction apprenticeship drop-out rates stand at around 47%, making this an essential step toward strengthening our workforce.

“The approval of IfATE, soon to be Skills England, is a vital development for our industry. We need to attract and retain talent in this sector, ensuring that apprenticeships maintain high standards and provide more career pathway opportunities.”

The proposed apprenticeships, led by the PEG, will:

• maintain and heighten training standards
• enhance course accessibility
• offer new entry points for aspiring plumbers.

The Level 2 apprenticeship will cover foundational skills such as hot- and cold-water installations and sanitation systems, while Level 3 builds upon these with advanced techniques, including low-carbon heating and plumbing system design. The proposed changes will support apprentices aspiring to achieve professional recognition from Engineering Technician to Chartered Engineer.

“The CIPHE would like to extend our thanks to everyone involved in this process to date,” says Wellman. “We are committed to working across the sector to get the final standards available in colleges across England and Wales as soon as possible, so that we can deliver gold-standard apprenticeships that will meet the needs of modern plumbing and heating businesses and, ultimately, their customers.”

If you’re interested in helping to shape the future of the plumbing and heating industry, those involved in further education colleges or private training centres are invited to join the Industry Education Engagement Group. For further information, contact Lizzi Lake at elizabethl@ciphe.org.uk.