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Scotsman
19-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Plumbing trade sounds warning over lack of apprenticeship funding
Concerns over wider financial impact of recruitment woes Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scotland's economy risks being damaged by a lack of funding which has left plumbing and heating firms unable to take on new apprentices, according to a leading trade association. The Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing and Heating Federation (SNIPEF) warned that eight years of frozen apprenticeship funding from the Scottish Government had led to many sectors reaching 'breaking point,' and said that without fresh investment, one of the country's most essential workforces would face 'increasing pressure'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In a stark warning, the federation's chief executive, Fiona Hodgson, said that while companies wanted to invest in new recruits, many are unable to do so without targeted support, putting them in a 'no win situation'. It said that while companies of all sizes were being impacted, those hardest hit were smaller firms and family businesses. A recent analysis carried out by the federation of its members in the first quarter of the year found that just 22 per cent of businesses are likely to recruit a plumbing apprentice in the next six months. This comes despite a critical skills shortage and, according to the federation, reflects deeper structural concerns, such as the cost of training, limited supervisory capacity and a lack of long-term confidence in the labour market. For the first year, John Doherty's firm will not be training new apprenctices amid the cost pressures. Picture: SNIPEF | SNIPEF Ms Hodgson said: 'These figures are alarming. Our members want to invest in new talent, but they can't do so without targeted funding support. Recruiting an apprentice should never have become a burden, but our members are in a no-win situation where rising costs, funding stagnation and the workforce shortage have made apprentice recruitment unviable for many. 'Business growth starved by years of government inaction' 'Years of government inaction have created a situation where business growth has been starved, yet the responsibility to secure the future of the profession continues to fall on businesses with ever dwindling means to do so. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It is urgent that the government step in to support our businesses, re-opening that pathway for our apprentices to survive and forge meaningful and rewarding careers in an industry that is vital to the country's economy.' The warning comes as the federation - which has more than 750 member firms - is preparing to host the 50th iteration of its annual apprentice of the year competition, an initiative that has launched the careers of more than 1,200 apprentices since its inception. However, Ms Hodgson stressed that such progress was being put at risk as a result of the funding pressures, with businesses foregoing apprentice training for financial reasons. Fiona Hodgson, chief executive of the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation | SNIPEF Apprenticeship model 'how I got my start in the industry' One example is the eponymous plumbing, heating and joinery firm founded by John Doherty in the West Dunbartonshire town of Old Kirkpatrick some 26 years ago. A long-time advocate of apprenticeships, he currently employs a team of 19 staff members, which includes three apprentices – two plumbers and one joiner. But this will be the first year he has not trained a new apprentice as a result of the cost pressures and a lack of funding. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The apprenticeship model is how I got my start in the industry, and it set me on a career path to build my business to where it is today,' he explained. 'But for the very first time I will not be looking to recruit in the coming year. We did the maths on costs, and we reckon that our three apprentices will cost us £60,000 per annum, factoring in wage increases as well as general running costs such as tools and workwear. This is not sustainable for smaller businesses like my own. 'Direct funding for employers at national and local level is available, but these have their drawbacks as they have mostly been reduced to one-year grants with wage requirements that surpass those agreed upon by the Unite the Union and the industry itself. This puts businesses in a position of financial uncertainty, especially if they are unable to renew grant funding for an apprentice's second, third or fourth year at college.' Mr Doherty, whose clients include the likes of Scottish Water, West Dunbartonshire Council, and Hampden Stadium, expressed concern that the impact on micro-businesses and small firms would have far reaching implications. Mr Doherty's firm already includes several apprentices. | SNIPEF '80 per cent of our industry is made up of small businesses, so if the vast majority are finding apprenticeships unsustainable, what does that mean for the future of the industry?' he asked. 'If we have to rely on the largest companies to recruit, apprentices will find themselves in highly specialised or niche roles, lacking the experience to be effective in the wider industry. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Government 'must step in to secure next generation' 'The government must step in to support our profession to secure the next generation of plumbers. Employers need to know the government values our industry, so that we can provide the opportunities that we were once afforded. Otherwise, I fear for the future of the profession.' A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: 'We are engaging industries and employers across the country, and will continue to do so as we reform the skills system and introduce a new skills planning approach, which will enable targeted action to address national and regional skills requirements. 'Recognising the need to address current skills needs while reforming the system, we are providing £185m this year to support apprenticeships. But we are also looking at how we secure maximum benefit from this investment, including how public funding is utilised.
Daily Record
14-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Scotland's plumbers at 'breaking point' with seven in ten firms struggling to recruit
Scotland's plumbing profession has reached 'breaking point' with seven in ten firms struggling to recruit skilled workers leading to the cost of emergency call-outs soaring. The Plumbing and Heating Federation issued the warning amid fears a 'critical' shortage of workers - despite rising demand for plumbers - is causing prices to surge and could lead to a rise in rogue traders. As of April 2025, the average call-out fee for an emergency plumber was £110, according to home improvement index Checkatrade and the average hourly rate for a plumber was £50. A study in 2022 by the firm also found the cost of an average plumbing job had soared by 19 per cent - or around £70 - to stand at about £434. The Federation has now demanded swift government intervention to address a workforce crisis which has seen recruitment of apprentices flatline, citing years of ministerial 'inaction'. Chief executive Fiona Hodgson said: 'The plumbing and heating profession is at breaking point. 'We are now seeing the cumulative impact of government inaction, with funding support frozen for more than eight years. 'Our members continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience amid ongoing global economic uncertainty, but resilience alone cannot replace the need for a skilled and sustainable workforce. 'Our employers have continued to sound the alarm: they cannot find the people they need, and too few have the resources to train the next generation.' The Federation also warned the sector's struggles 'threaten the nation's economic resilience' amid the drive to build more houses and retrofit homes and buildings to meet climate targets. Hodgson added: 'Without urgent government action, our capacity to deliver on housing, infrastructure and net zero targets will begin to manifest in the next two to three years.' The latest State of Trade report from the industry group, also known as the Scotland and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers' Federation (SNIPEF), found 69 per cent of firms reported low availability of skilled professionals. Meanwhile, fewer than a quarter plan to recruit an apprentice over the next six months. The report, based on three consecutive quarters of survey data, also found just 21 per cent of businesses say they're likely to increase staffing at all, with many citing cost pressures, with 47 per cent gloomy about the country's overall economic outlook. It comes despite rising demand for plumbing services since the Covid pandemic as homeowners began clearing their maintenance backlogs. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. SNIPEF warned last year the rising cost of materials and fuel, a shortage of skilled workers and the National Insurance squeeze on employers were all piling pressure on the sector. Logic4Training, the UK's leading training provider for tradesmen, has predicted these factors will continue to cause 'elevated service charges'. Hodgson warned the 'deeper systemic issue' was the 'chronic underfunding of further education and apprenticeships ' which she insisted demands urgent attention at Holyrood. She said: 'Policymakers continue to talk about the value of apprenticeships and the green transition, yet the very trades needed to deliver them are being starved of support. 'If we are serious about installing low-carbon heating systems and driving social and economic mobility, we need thousands more trained professionals. 'That starts with investing in apprenticeships now, not two or three years down the line.' A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We are engaging industries and employers across the country, and will continue to do so as we reform the skills system and introduce a new skills planning approach, which will enable targeted action to address national and regional skills requirements. 'Recognising the need to address current skills needs while reforming the system, we are providing £185million this year to support apprenticeships. But we are also looking at how we secure maximum benefit from this investment, including how public funding is utilised. ' Brexit is a major driver of skills gaps and is holding Scotland back, in addition to current UK immigration policy, which is why we continue to propose a tailored approach to migration for Scotland to ensure that we can benefit from the skills of people who want to live and work here.'
