Ideal Heating hosts SkillPLUMB UK Final Training Day

BPEC recently brought together the SkillPLUMB 2026 UK finalists for a dedicated training day, hosted by headline sponsor Ideal Heating, giving competitors valuable insight into the heating industry and expert guidance ahead of the national final.

The day began with a tour of Ideal Heating’s main manufacturing facility at its headquarters in Hull, where finalists learned about Ideal’s rigorous production methods and comprehensive testing processes. Competitors then visited the UK Technology Centre, Ideal’s purpose-built facility dedicated to pioneering low-carbon heating technologies. They were given an insight into its state-of-the-art facilities, including climatic chambers, where heat pumps are tested across a range of temperatures and conditions, and anechoic chambers, which are used to monitor acoustic performance.

The focus then turned to competition preparation at Ideal’s Expert Training Academy, where finalists received advice and guidance on all aspects of the forthcoming UK Final.

BPEC Chief Executive Neil Collishaw led discussions covering the competition task, judging criteria and top tips for success, helping competitors understand what to expect and how best to prepare. Ideal Heating’s Mark Griffin then delivered an overview on heat pump operation, installation and fault finding to help them prepare for this year’s heat pump task at the final.

“We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Ideal Heating for hosting the event and for its continued support of SkillPLUMB,” said Neil Collishaw. “Opportunities such as this play an important role in helping aspiring plumbing professionals develop their skills and prepare to perform at their best.”

Andrew Johnson, Training and Design Services Director at Ideal Heating, said: “SkillPLUMB sets a real expectation for apprentices to strive for excellence and take pride in their work. The quality of the competitors I have witnessed over the years is exceptional and the commitment they put into preparing for the competition is impressive. We’ve been honoured to host the Training Day to support their preparation and are proud to support a competition that gives young plumbers the opportunity to develop, showcase their abilities and shine.

With the training day complete, the finalists are now spending their remaining weeks honing their skills and putting their preparation into practice ahead of the SkillPLUMB 2026 UK Final, taking place during the week commencing 16 November at Bridgend College, South Wales, as part of WorldSkills UK National Finals Week.