Category Archives: News & Press Releases

SkillPLUMB 2025 – now open for entries!   

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 […]

Course Levelling 

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 […]

BPEC Spotlight eNews – Winter 2025

We’re excited to bring you the latest edition of our eNews industry update, Spotlight! This issue is packed with the latest industry news, insights, and updates on all the recent developments at BPEC. Plus, we’re thrilled to share the results of our latest Customer Voice Survey – providing you with valuable feedback directly from those who […]

BPEC Customer Voice Survey: a resounding endorsement of quality and service

The results of our latest Customer Voice Survey speak for themselves. Here’s a snapshot of what our customers and partners have to say about BPEC and the services we provide. An impressive 94% of customers agree that BPEC products meet their expectations, affirming our commitment to delivering top-quality solutions tailored to their needs. When asked […]

Christmas Message from Neil Collishaw – CEO of BPEC

On behalf of the whole BPEC team, I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all our customers for their continued business throughout the year. I am proud of what the BPEC team has achieved this year, continuing to offer unparalleled products, services, and support to our network of […]

David Bateman-Smith named SkillPLUMB 2024 UK Champion

The SkillPLUMB 2024 UK Champion and gold medal winner has been named as 19-year old David Bateman-Smith of South West College NI and Ashley McFarland Plumbing & Heating.  In what turned out to be an extremely close event, held at Oldham College as part of the WorldSkills UK National Finals, David was closely followed by […]

BPEC becomes a Lighthouse Charity corporate supporter

BPEC has become a corporate supporter of the Lighthouse Charity, an organisation that provides emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support to construction workers and their families. Established for nearly 70 years, the Lighthouse Charity is renowned across the construction industry for its comprehensive package of assistance for those in need. Its 24/7 confidential helpline and self-support app […]

October 2024 – BPEC Spotlight eNews

Catch up with the latest BPEC news in Spotlight! This edition is packed with essential industry updates and BPEC news shaping the future including: Why become a BPEC-accredited ACS Centre?New BPEC Product Directory2024/25 Funding – BPEC Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing Foundation 600/9353/5Qualification Operational End Dates (date of last learner registrations)Gas Engineering Operative Apprenticeship – […]

BPEC CEO attends NET Celebration of Skills 2024

Photo shows (from L to R) Fiona Harper, SECTT CEO and Neil Collishaw, BPEC CEO Neil Collishaw, BPEC’s CEO attended the NET Celebration of Skills 2024 held on Wednesday 23rd October at the exclusive BAFTA facilities in central London. With over 150 attendees, the event celebrated the electrical industry’s best of British talent, including SkillELECTRIC and WorldSkills […]

WorldSkills silver medal for Ruben

We are delighted to announce that Ruben Duggan has been awarded the Plumbing & Heating silver medal at WorldSkills 2024! After demonstrating exceptional skills across a very challenging task, Ruben’s success was announced at the WorldSkills 2024 closing ceremony last night. Ruben’s WorldSkills journey started with his SkillPLUMB UK gold medal win in 2022, following […]

Matt Skelding visits Smart Gas Training & Assessment

This week, BPEC’s Head of Operations & Development, Matt Skelding visited BPEC Centre, Smart Gas Training & Assessment, a company he first connected with in early 2017. At that first meeting he had met with Directors Patrick O’Sullivan and John Grocott, exploring various topics including apprenticeships, the emerging ‘trailblazer’ standards, and funding opportunities for skills […]

Why become a BPEC-accredited ACS Centre?

Domestic Gas

BPEC Gas Nationally Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) is the industry recognised and mandatory entry route for operatives to become a member of the Gas Safe Register.  Originally established in 1997, BPEC Certification Ltd oversees the competence assessment of individuals working in the gas industry.  Accreditation has been gained from United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) as […]

July 2024 – BPEC Spotlight eNews

Catch up with the latest BPEC news in Spotlight! It’s packed full of news and important industry updates – don’t miss out on the essential news you need to know: BPEC ACS gas newsIdeal Heating named as SkillPLUMB Headline SponsorTech team receives CPD training from IdealNew BPEC Trustee & DirectorExamination Malpractice2024/25 Funding – BPEC Level […]

BPEC Trustees visit water aid charity Aquabox

On 3rd July 2024, the BPEC-supported Aquabox water aid charity hosted a visit by BPEC Trustees and CEO Neil Collishaw as part of a packed week that included the BPEC AGM and Board Meeting, lunchtime social with BPEC staff, and the fantastic ‘Great BPEC Bake-Off’ cooking event. Established in 1992 and based in Wirksworth near Matlock, Derbyshire, this international charity and […]

Trustees join Great BPEC Bake-Off

BPEC could not function effectively without our Directors/Trustees, who meet three times a year to direct and oversee our continued growth and guide the strategic direction of the organisation. The recent BPEC Annual General Meeting and Board Meeting on 4th July was scheduled to coincide with a social get-together and our ‘Great BPEC Bake-Off’ event.  […]

Top 8 SkillPLUMB Competitors Named 

The eight student plumbers who scored most highly across the SkillPLUMB 2024 national qualifying heats have been named:  Top Row L-R: David Bateman-Smith – South West College NI / Ashley McFarland Plumbing & HeatingDillon Newton – Cornwall College / Justin Eyre Plumbing & HeatingElliot Julian – a full time student at Cornwall CollegeJack Fenton – […]

Ideal Heating delivers CPD training to the BPEC technical team

Ideal Heating has delivered CPD training on low carbon heating technologies and heat pumps to the whole BPEC technical team. Jon Ward, one of Ideal Heating’s industry experts, led the intensive training over two days, with half of the technical team attending on each day. Ideal Heating, one of BPEC’s top training partners, has several […]

ECS and BPEC shortlisted for the 2024 Fire & Security Matters Awards!

BPEC, in partnership with the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS), has been shortlisted for the ‘Security Innovation of the Year’ category at the forthcoming 2024 Fire & Security Matters Awards for the Fire, Emergency, and Security Systems (FESS) Experienced Worker Assessment (EWA). This follows our success at last year’s event when the FESS EWA won ‘Security or […]

Ideal Heating named as SkillPLUMB Headline Sponsor

The SkillPLUMB competition has named Ideal Heating as its new headline sponsor under a 3-year partnership agreement to provide support and equipment for the UK’s leading plumbing skills event.   Ideal Heating has been an established partner of competition organiser BPEC for a number of years via its training centres across the country. Now as part […]

April 2024 Issue – BPEC Spotlight

The latest issue of BPEC’s Spotlight eNews has been published! It’s packed full of news and important industry updates – don’t miss out on the essential news you need to know: BPEC Charity supports Water AidVoice of the Customer Survey resultsUpdate on new centresRecord year for BPEC certificatesRevised Apprenticeship StandardsAwarding Organisation, EPA, Learning Materials and […]

BPEC Gas Meter Foundation MLP – 2024 update          

Introduction This update is in response to a new IGEM/IG/1 training specification (supplement 3) being published. This came into effect on 1/01/24 and all new starters from this date will be required to meet the new requirements. Existing Learners Learners who are already on programme can continue on that programme. However, all learners must be […]

BPEC Charity supports international water aid via Aquabox 

Industry charity BPEC is supporting international water aid efforts via a donation to Aquabox, a volunteer-led charity that provides filtration units and other humanitarian aid to crisis zones around the world. Working from their base in the Peak District, Aquabox volunteers manufacture and assemble the family water filters which are shipped internationally to countries and communities […]

Plumbing and Heating Skills Partnership unveils major expansion

The Plumbing & Heating Skills Partnership (PHSP) is expanding its membership following a strategic Skills Summit, including widening the PHSP UK Strategic Group membership to include the Chartered Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering (CIPHE), the Plumbing, Heating and Mechanical Engineering Joint Industry Boards (JIB-PMES & SNIJIB) and Unite the Union. The Summit, held at […]

SkillPLUMB 2024 – enter now!  

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 2024 SkillPLUMB champion. The event is the only industry competition aligned to the […]