The vocational training and qualifications landscape is changing fast. Ownership structures, commercial priorities and governance models are increasingly under scrutiny, particularly following the recent acquisition of a large awarding organisation, that recently left hundreds of people facing uncertainty over their roles during the Christmas period. At moments like this, how organisations are structured, and who […]
The BPEC Charity has provided one-off donations to two overseas initiatives delivering vital improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene across Africa. Each organisation has received £1,500 to support practical, on-the-ground work that aligns with our long-standing commitment to public health and plumbing education. These two programmes stood out for the direct, tangible impact they make […]
The construction and building services sectors are facing an unprecedented challenge. We need more skilled people entering our industry, and we need them quickly. But that urgency must never come at the expense of competence, safety or quality. Recent discussions around reforming England’s apprenticeship system have created understandable concern across the sector. Employers, training providers […]
The SkillPLUMB 2025 UK Champion and gold medal winner has been named as Dillon Newton of the Cornwall College Group. The silver medal was awarded to Jackson Gill of New College Durham and CGE Yorkshire Ltd; while bronze medal went to Jack Fenton of Belfast Metropolitan College and Ian Reid Heating. Across two and a […]
On behalf of the whole BPEC team, I’d like to thank all our customers and partners for their continued support throughout the year. 2025 has been another year of progress for BPEC. We’ve strengthened our position as a trusted partner in skills, training, and assessment across the Building Services Engineering sector, while remaining true to […]
Here’s a reminder that the latest edition of the BPEC Brief is now available. For anyone unfamiliar, the BPEC Brief is our industry round-up created by the BPEC Charity. We do the research and the collation, so you don’t have to. It’s designed to save our readers time while keeping them informed about what actually […]
On 6 October 2025, apprentices on the Fire, Emergency & Security Systems (FESS) standard began their End-Point Assessment at BPEC’s new purpose-built facility in Derby, a significant step forward in making high-quality EPA more accessible across the Midlands. The centre’s location offers a real advantage for employers and training providers both north and south of […]
Funding to support new National Occupational Standards, the Scottish apprenticeship framework, and a new assessment strategy. BPEC is proud to be supporting training and skills development across the UK plumbing and heating profession, by investing £15,000 to support the recently completed revision of the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for plumbing and heating, and to help […]
BPEC has announced it will continue its corporate support for the Lighthouse Charity for a further year, reinforcing its commitment to the emotional, physical and financial wellbeing of construction workers and their families. The Lighthouse Charity, established almost 70 years ago, is widely respected across the construction sector for the breadth and impact of its […]
BPEC is proud to announce its support for Toilet Twinning, an initiative run by Tearfund that helps transform lives by funding safe toilets, clean water and hygiene education in some of the world’s poorest communities. Following a proposal from Mark Antrobus and with unanimous support from the other BPEC Charity trustees, all toilets at our […]
BPEC is proud to congratulate two of its approved centres – Wigan & Leigh College and Leeds College of Building – on being named among the first ten Construction Technical Excellence Colleges in England. This prestigious recognition is part of a £100 million government drive to boost construction skills and strengthen the future workforce. Both […]
The eight student plumbers who scored most highly across the SkillPLUMB 2025 national qualifying heats have been named: Top row L-R: Bottom row L-R: All have now been invited to go head-to-head across the week of 24th November at Bridgend College for the SkillPLUMB 2025 UK Final. In total around 50 WorldSkills UK National Finals […]
On Saturday 12 July, BPEC proudly supported Warriors of Warmth a Nottingham-based initiative tackling fuel poverty by providing free plumbing and heating services to those in need. Warriors of Warmth, founded by heating engineer Jonathon Hallam, brings together volunteer engineers and apprentices to carry out vital repairs and installations for charities, shelters, and community spaces. […]
BPEC marked the retirement of long-serving Board member Raymond Leslie on 18 June, as he stepped down from his position as Director for BPEC Services. The presentation took place during his final Board Meeting, held at the SNIPEF offices in Edinburgh, where he was presented with a gift by Duncan Wilson in recognition of his […]
The Department for Education has launched its Construction Technical Excellence Colleges initiative, and we believe many of our centres are well placed to apply. This is a major opportunity to lead the way in technical education for construction and building services. The government is selecting up to ten Further Education colleges in England to become […]
A new BPEC End-point Assessment (EPA) facility for Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) apprenticeships has been officially opened at BPEC’s headquarters in Derby, marking a major milestone in the continued expansion of the FESS apprenticeship programme across the UK. The FESS Assessment Bays were formally opened by Neil Collishaw, CEO of BPEC, and Trevor Jenks, National […]
SGN, in partnership with Fife College, has opened the UK’s first dedicated hydrogen training centre for gas engineers at the college’s Levenmouth Campus. The facility will train over 100 Gas Safe engineers this year to support the H100 Fife green hydrogen trial, helping to safely convert homes from natural gas to hydrogen. Training will be […]
We’re pleased to share the latest edition of Spotlight, your go-to source for industry updates from BPEC. In this issue, you’ll find the most recent company news, key insights, and important developments from across the sector. We’re also excited to reveal some new company developments with changes to our senior management team, the BPEC Charity’s year […]
The BPEC Charity witnessed the important work being done to support international water aid recently during a visit to one of its beneficiaries Aquabox, a volunteer-led charity that provides filtration units and other humanitarian aid to crisis zones around the world. Working from their base in Derbyshire, Aquabox volunteers assemble two key filtration systems which are shipped […]
The BPEC Charity has published its annual Year in Review to profile its wide-ranging and significant work to support plumbing and heating skills development over the last 12 months. For over 32 years, BPEC has invested in projects focused on raising standards, supporting the training and development of plumbing operatives and encouraging leadership, entrepreneurship and […]
The senior leadership team at BPEC has been strengthened with the creation of two new roles that will enhance business and technical operations across the organisation. Kevin Clark has been appointed the new BPEC Head of Technical Operations, whilst Angela Gask will become BPEC’s new Head of Business Operations. Both start their new positions on 01 […]
SNIPEF has signed a partnership agreement with the British Plumbing Employers Council (BPEC) to rebrand the Scottish Plumbing Apprentice of the Year (SPAY) copper category as Scotland’s qualifying heat for the UK-wide SkillPLUMB competition. This partnership unites two long-standing competitions, further strengthening SPAY’s 50-year status as Scotland’s leading plumbing and heating apprenticeship competition while providing […]
Huge congratulations to the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) on reaching an incredible milestone – 100 years of championing professionalism and progress in the plumbing and heating industry. Since its founding in 1925, APHC has played a pivotal role in raising industry standards, advocating for best practices, and ensuring that the plumbing and […]
Talented student plumbers are being encouraged to enter this year’s SkillPLUMB competition. The registration window is open now and runs until 28 March. During the competition, entrants will be judged on a series of challenging practical tests in a bid to be named the 2025 SkillPLUMB champion. The event is the only industry competition aligned […]
Domestic Air Source Heat Pump and Domestic Ground Source Heat Pump (Previously Heat Pump Systems / NOS Mapped) BPEC has commissioned work to establish an evidence base to determine the level of the following BPEC courses: Following due process, both courses were mapped against UK Regulatory Framework and National Level descriptors with the final outcome […]