2010
Labour Market Studies
Research Report
The University of the West of Scotland
Careers Guidance & Development Diploma
Within this current labour market, what are the
opportunities in Darlington for school leavers
interested in plumbing and is the local LMI on this
sector sufficient for informing quality information,
advice and guidance?
6th May 2010
By Alexandra Swainston
2
Acknowledgements
The author is employed by a Connexions Service in the North East and for the
purposes of this job role and completing this assignment for the University of
West Scotland the research was undertaken with the help of colleagues and local
training providers.
The author wishes to thank the following people for their support and contribution:-
Chris Leech, colleague and student at The University of Sunderland, for his valuable
help in this research for mutual beneficial goals! Both tasked with exploring the local
LMI (Labour Market Information) on plumbing and therefore this work complimented
his University research proposal and the results from the questionnaires designed
together were invaluable to this research assignment; colleagues at Connexions
(who wished to remain anonymous ) for taking the time to complete the
questionnaire; colleagues at the local college and training providers (wished to
remain anonymous) for their support and contribution to the provider interviews
conducted; SummitSkills for their useful LMI resources on both the website and via
their very helpful North East Business Development Officer; Connexions
management for their flexibility in enabling me to complete this research. Finally,
tutors at the University of West Scotland for their comprehensive lecture handouts
and guidance.
A.Swainston April 2010/University of the West of Scotland/Diploma in Career Guidance & Development
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CONTENTS
PAGE
ABSTRACT
...................................................................
4
1. INTRODUCTION
....................................................................
5-6
....................................................................
7-11
1.1 Rationale
1.2 Research Aims
1.3 Research Objectives
2. METHODOLOGY
2.1 Literature Review
2.2 Questionnaires
2.3 Interviews
2.4 Data Analysis
3. FINDINGS & ANALYSIS
....................................................................... 12-24
3.1 Literature Review
3.2 Questionnaires
3.3 Interviews
3.4 Data Analysis
4. LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
...................................................................... 25
5. CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................
26-28
5.1 Concluding Findings
5.2 Recommendations
6. APPENDICES
....................................................................... 29-47
7. REFERENCES
....................................................................... 48
LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES
Fig 1.
Predictions for Plumbing Apprentices North East Region page 15
Fig 2. Destination Information for the Basic Level 2 Plumbing
Certificate college (2009) page 22
Fig 3. 17-19 year olds that left school with a career choice of plumbing
currently on roll college (2010) page 25
Fig 4. Young People NEET with a career choice of plumbing (2010) page 26
Fig 5. Young People aged 17-20 years old in Employment or Employment
with Training with a career choice of plumbing (2010) page 26
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ABSTRACT
This research set out to gain a picture of the current opportunities for school leavers
in Darlington that had a career choice in plumbing and to explore the local Labour
Market Information (LMI) on the sector and how sufficient and up to date it is.
In order to gain a picture of what the current LMI is and sources available are the
research involved using questionnaires and interviews with guidance practitioners,
local and national training providers as well as the Sector Skills Council for the
Building Services Engineering Sector.
The report provides a brief insight into the current LMI and opportunities available
and has highlighted how important up-to-date and accurate LMI is, when informing
guidance. Findings suggest the LMI available locally appears to be limited and at
times confusing and that opportunities are lacking within this sector locally. It
explores some of the reasons behind this and if there is even a demand for plumbers
within the labour market that would warrant opportunities arising.
The research findings have identified some key conclusions and areas for
recommendation to improve the quality of information advice and guidance and
raises awareness of the plumbing sector‟s current state and future predictions.
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
Young People have to make very difficult decisions about their futures between the
ages of 14 -19 both in subject choices, progression routes and career choices.
Having an understanding of the labour market including what opportunities are out
there and what up and coming new opportunities are on the horizon is vital for young
people and those who support them in making career decisions.
The 2007 Sainsbury Review of Science and Innovation spells out the importance of
quality labour market information (LMI) and stated:
“Careers advice should be firmly rooted in the labour market (present and
predicted) and careers advisers should have excellent knowledge of both
these trends and of the learning routes altogether”. (Lord Sainsbury of
Turville: 2007)
There has been recent uncertainty within England‟s labour markets and the effects of
the recession appear to have had an impact on many employment sectors across
the country. This research was undertaken in an attempt to identify what the current
plumbing opportunities are for school leavers in Darlington, North East England. It
will analyse to what extent the recession may have impacted on the plumbing sector
1
(within the Building Services Engineering Sector) and explore available LMI on this
sector.
1.2 Rationale
Secondary school pupils today can often have high expectations that they can leave
school and walk straight into the job they want. Historically this may have been the
case when in previous decades the majority of school leavers were more likely to go
into employment when they left school than continue in education.
Today however, the job market has changed a great deal in the last 20-30 years with
both the impact of Government targets, such as 50% of young people in higher
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education by 2010; The Education and Skills Bill 07/08, raising the age of those
participating in education (DfES) and the variations in today‟s labour market, it has
become increasingly difficult to leave school at 16 and find employment and a job for
life. It is more likely that employees may change jobs several times in their working
life to keep their skills and qualifications in line with changing needs of the economy.
In addition, young people can be impressionable when it comes to their choices
when they leave school and have a wide range of influences on their ideas including
the media, peers and parents and therefore having quality IAG is vital in helping
them to make informed choices.
The Connexions Service offers advice and guidance to young people aged 14-19
through a drop-in centre and local schools. Amongst those guidance practitioners
that support school leavers in Darlington, there is a perception that career ideas of
becoming a plumber is popular but the general consensus is that it has been
increasingly difficult to advise on their options and progression routes seemingly due
to a lack of opportunities within this sector and local area.
1.3 Research Aim
To validate the perception that opportunities in plumbing training within
Darlington are lacking and if so explore possible reasons e.g. impact of the
recession.
To consider the LMI that is available to local guidance practitioners.
1.4 Research Objectives
To establish what the local training opportunities are in the plumbing sector.
To identify what local LMI is available on the sector.
Explore what is currently being used by guidance practitioners and identify
any gaps in knowledge or accessibility.
To identify any current and predicted trends within the plumbing sector
_________________________________________________________________________________
1
The term ‘plumbing’ is used to cover this area of the Building Services Engineering Sector in general terms and has not been
broken down into specific roles within the plumbing sector e.g. gas and heating. For the purposes of this research breaking
down into sector specifics was deemed unwieldy for a research report of this size. In addition the training opportunities for
school leavers tend to cover all aspects of plumbing initially.
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2.0 METHODOLOGY
Research authors such as Gilbert (1993) suggest that the main components in
research are development of theory, data collection and methods used or
designed to collate data. Typically research methods are usually termed as
„qualitative‟ and „quantitative‟ approaches and there are key distinctions between
the two. Qualitative approaches are generally linked to small scale research and
focus on words and descriptions as the unit of analysis. The researcher can be
involved in this approach, for example, focus group discussions and interviews.
The latter, quantitative approaches are generally linked larger scale studies with
a specific focus linked to statistical analysis and the use of numbers. The
researcher is likely to be detached from involvement, for example using surveys,
questionnaires or data analysis.
Denscombe (2007) also says that research does not always fall exactly into these
two categories All research methods can have advantages and disadvantages
and it is important when choosing methods consideration is given to the type of
topic under research and the scale and time constraints involved.
“More than one method can be used for the research with the clear
intention that weaknesses in one method can be compensated for by
strengths in another method” (Denscombe: 2007: 134)
For the purpose of this research the methods used were chosen in consideration
of the followingHypothesis - what the topic was and how to find out facts and information
The ease of gathering the information and data
Reliability and validity of the research data
The time frame for completing the research
Access to information
Ethics and confidentiality
This research involved using the following methods:Literature review
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Questionnaires
Interviews (both face to face and telephone)
Data analysis
2.1 Literature Review
An important part of research methodology is to undertake a literature review (see
section 3.1 in Research Findings). This can enable the researcher to review their
main ideas and to explore what existing research has been undertaken in relation to
the area of interest. Literature reviews can help to inform the researcher‟s questions
and help confirm assertions. Although an initial literature review was undertaken at
the beginning stages of this research it has also been an ongoing process to assist
with the research findings throughout.
2.2 Questionnaires
When designing and distributing questionnaires for research purposes it is important
to aware of some of the advantages and disadvantages of this method.
Advantages include: - being able to reach a large target group, it can be
relatively cheap to produce (although printing costs my need to be considered
in some instances) it also enables the researcher to remain detached from
the target group thus limiting any influence.
Disadvantages include: - the possibility of poor response rates may be a
problem, incomplete answers, limited answers and there is no way of
verifying answers.
For the preliminary primary research it was felt a self completing questionnaire would
be appropriate and beneficial. The questionnaire could be used with a specific target
group that was easily accessible, in this case, with guidance practitioners at
Connexions for the purpose of determining the following:What current sources of LMI in relation to plumbing are being used?
How often do guidance practitioners come across school leavers wishing to
do plumbing training?
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How informed are those school leavers on plumbing and opportunities in
plumbing.
What (if any) are the perceived barriers and limitations to school leavers
accessing plumbing training.
How important is local and national LMI to guidance practitioners.
How accessible is LMI on the plumbing sector?
The questionnaire was chosen to ensure anonymity and honesty in answers as it
was felt had a focus group or face to face interview been used the guidance
practitioners may have felt they were being assessed and either not answered
completely honestly or felt threatened and unwilling to participate.
To ensure this was completed ethically a brief outline of the purpose of the research
and questionnaire was provided to all participants along with confidentiality
assurances and permission was granted for the questionnaires to be distributed and
all participants thanked. (See Appendix A). One disadvantage of using
questionnaires is that the researcher is relying on them to be completed and
returned by a specific deadline which can cause delays in getting results. For this
reason it was decided to utilise a staff meeting when all the guidance team were
together for a set period of time and ask them to complete the questionnaire there
and then on their own and with no discussions and then they were collated
immediately.
Using questionnaires for quantitative data alone could have the disadvantage of
having closed questions with no room for respondent feedback. For this reason the
design of the questionnaire was carefully considered to try to cover both quantitative
and qualitative information. For example some questions were simply „yes‟/‟no‟ or
scaling questions whereas others asked for particular comments and feedback.
This did mean however, it was important to try to keep it simple and easy to follow to
prevent missing answers or misunderstandings. On reflection the majority managed
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to complete the questionnaire comprehensively however only one question which
was perhaps overly structured, thus being difficult to follow incurred some anomaly
of response. (See Research Findings 3.2).
2.3 Interviews
To ensure validity of findings following the questionnaire with staff it was necessary
to check the facts about the opportunities within the sector with local providers
(college/ training providers) and national skills council (SummitSkills).
Each provider was contacted by telephone and given an explanation as to what the
research was about and what it would be used for. After establishing agreement to
take part they were asked a series of questions the two providers‟ one a local
(college apprenticeship programme) and one national provider (anon) were asked
the same questions and their responses recorded. The sector skills council
(SummitSkills) were asked slightly different questions relevant to their LMI
knowledge. It was felt pre-determined questions would be easier to conduct over the
telephone than general questioning which allowed room for deviation and prompting.
In addition to these interviews a face to face interview was conducted with a local
college tutor for the full time Level 2 plumbing certificate. Again an explanation as to
what the research was about was given and what it would be used for before
establishing agreement to take part. The questions were pre-determined to ensure
there was no room for deviation off topic and on the whole were more detailed than
the telephone interviews, largely due to time permitting as well as the need for
further clarity of this training route as it appeared to be the only full time plumbing
course available locally.
It should be noted that in this instance allowing room for bias is needed with regard
to some questions such as numbers of learners that progress onto apprenticeships
etc. It is unlikely that a provider would want to play down their own provision and
during the initial stages of the interview there were some tensions with the line of
questioning and perhaps the interviewee had felt a little under pressure to „impress‟.
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However, on the whole both the telephone interviews and the face to face interview
appeared to support one another‟s responses which demonstrated a degree of
success in these chosen methods in obtaining useful information for the purposes of
this research.
2.4 Data Analysis
In order to explore further the quantitative data and attempt to validate some the
existing findings data analysis was used. The Connexions service utilises a
computerised recording system on every young person living in the area aged 13-20
for the purpose of monitoring and tracking both interventions with advisers and
progression. Information tracked by advisers includes:Career choices in year 11
Intended destinations
Actual destinations & provider information
Age ranges
Therefore this database could potentially hold valuable local LMI and it was decided
it could be useful to explore further. It was hoped that information such as how many
year 11 school leavers had a career choice of plumbing and how many moved on
into a plumbing training or employment destination could be obtained.
In order to collate this data a considerable amount of time was needed to navigate
and search the database system. Although time needed was a disadvantage, it was
perceived that the value of the data outweighed the time it would take to obtain it. In
addition although the data could support the research already undertaken it should
be noted that as the recording database is used by a number of Connexions
advisers it is open to errors in recording thus not being necessarily 100% reliable but
it could provide a „snapshot‟ of relevant statistical information that may support and
validate other findings.
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3.0 Research Findings & Analysis
This section analyses some of the key findings from the research.
3.1Literature Review
Secondary research was undertaken initially to examine what is meant by Labour
Market Information (LMI) and the importance of LMI within the role of information,
advice and guidance and what had been written on the subject.
Labour markets reflect the demand for labour and the people who are available for
work, reflecting how economies operate at local, regional and national levels, in the
modern world increasingly including international levels. They can be affected by a
number of things that can impact on how employers recruit such as, government
interventions as well as economic recession. Thus, LMI can be compiled to monitor
and track changes and help predict those changes.
The 2005 DfES publication on Understanding the Labour Market mentions the
importance of labour market information and future predictions in terms of identifying
“education, training and skills needs and look at arrangements for meeting those
needs”(p.5). It goes on to say how any disparity between the supply and demand of
labour has an impact on businesses and economies as well as societies and
individuals.
This publication was slightly out of date for reviewing the emerging changes within
the labour market and therefore it was decided not to dwell on these predictions for
the purpose of this research. However the key messages about the importance of
LMI were clear and thus confirmed the relevance of exploring local LMI on the
plumbing sector as being an important aspect of this research rather than just relying
on the perception that there is indeed, a lack of opportunities.
“Clearly, if young people are to make well informed and realistic decisions
about their future career choices they need to have access to information
about the jobs and courses they are considering.” (DfES: 2005: 12)
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Denis Hall (2009) produced a report for the Regional 14-19 commission (for the
North East of England) outlining „The LMI need of Young People, Parents, Teachers
and IAG Professionals’. One of the key findings in the report was that a range of
people are involved in supporting young people with their choices including;
teachers, mentors and parents as well as IAG/Connexions practitioners and that all
of which would need at the very least need an overview of regional LMI.
The report concluded with recommendations for a strategic approach to LMI needs
of young people, parents and IAG professionals that must be “sufficiently and
significantly resourced” (p18). The report also stated that those professionals
involved in information advice and guidance in the regional area felt that there is little
information produced specifically to meet their needs. Most wanted up-to-date
succinct facts that they can use confidently without having to interpret data. It is
hoped that this research report will be able to identify if similar views are held by the
guidance practitioners completing the questionnaires.
Secondary research was also undertaken to explore the current trends in the
plumbing sector nationally and what data was obtainable for the local area.
SummitSkills (the Sector Skills Council for the Building Services Engineering Sector)
produced a report in 2009 ‘Impact of the Recession on the Building Services Sector:
Summary of Key Issues’. The report looked at the best and worst case scenarios of
the potential impact of the recession on this sector. Nationally U.K job losses in the
plumbing sector were estimated to be between 16,306 and 37,731 (from a workforce
of 90,424) This report was particularly useful as it included the potential impact on
apprentices and this was broken down into both region and trade, meaning a picture
of the North East region and the plumbing trade was available.
For the purpose of this research a small section of the SummitSkills report has been
re-produced into the table overleaf.
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Fig 1.
Predictions for Plumbing Apprentices North East Region based on
approximate 3,755 plumbers employed in region
Total ‘notional’
job losses best
case scenario
Of those losses
Best case
scenario for
apprentices
Total ‘notional’
job losses worst
case scenario
Worst case
scenario for
apprentices
677
24
1,567
55
(Source: SummitSkills 2009 Impact of the Recession on the Building Services Sector: Summary of Key Issues)
This data although estimated, clearly shows a predicted impact on the plumbing
sector within the North East Region and for potential apprenticeship placements.
With about 4% - 8% of the job losses to directly affect apprentices.
The report went on to highlight how strong traditions within the BSE sector such as
„first in last out‟ during any economic downturn this will have an impact on
apprentices. It also states the problem can be made worse by the belief that
apprentices are expensive to a business and therefore often the first thing to be cut.
Discussed within the report were the skills needed for the future which included,
environmental technologies and renewable based on government policies and the
impact on training needs and formal qualifications. SummitSkills estimate potential
training needs for the North East within the plumbing sector will be significant in the
following areas:Solar water & heating
Photovoltaics 2
Combined Heating and power units
Micro wind energy
The SummitSkills report was interesting but it is important to note the data was
based on estimates and predictions. It was written in 2009 based on data
predominantly from 2008 very little was available for the present and nothing
available specifically for the Darlington area within the North East region. Therefore
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further research was needed via calling the North East representative for
SummitSkills (see Research Findings 3.3)
The National Guidance Research Forum (NRGF) was a useful website for gaining
information in relation to information advice and guidance. With regard to the
plumbing sector it outlines the following:the majority of the workforce are self-employed or work for small businesses
Almost all employees are qualified to at least NVQ level 2
Barriers to training include the size and structure of the sector, technological
changes and strong competition.
The website was useful for some background on the sector but it was found to either
be out of date on actual predictions and statistics reproduction of information already
gleaned from sector skills councils (SummitSkills).
Other articles reviewed included „The Children & Young People Now‟ online
publication (www.cypnow.co.uk) highlighting influential Government targets such as
the NEET reduction targets and the potential impact on guidance practitioners.
“Connexions services across England, measure the extent to which local
authorities are offering the September Guarantee - a government pledge
to provide every 16- and 17-year-old with a suitable place in education or
training.” (Higgs: 2009)
3.2 Questionnaire
The questionnaire with Connexions guidance practitioners was the starting point of
the primary research. In total there were 14 questionnaires handed out and 14
returned completed. In the appendices ‘Appendix B’ is a copy of the questionnaire
used and ‘Appendix C’ is a transcript of responses.
On analysis of the results it is clear that the majority of the guidance practitioners
identified that they do come across young people with an interest in plumbing either
often or occasionally only 1 person said that they rarely encountered this.
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The second question centred around how well informed and realistic students were
about the plumbing trade and opportunities.
Over half of the responses identified that students were RARELY well informed
about the plumbing opportunities or plumbing trade and in correlation with this:
11 felt students were either OFTEN or SOMETIMES misinformed, whilst only
3 felt students were RARELY misinformed.
The inconsistency with answers appeared with the latter statements about being
realistic or unrealistic as unlike the previous statements which correlated this one did
not produce such parallel results. If ten people felt they were OFTEN unrealistic how
can only 6 think they are RARELY realistic? It was an interesting question as it was
the only question that returned some anomaly in responses possibly due to it being
overly structured and therefore perhaps not easy to follow.
Overall however the general consensus to be gained from this question is that most
guidance practitioners agree that the students they encounter with an interest in
plumbing are not very well informed & unrealistic. Highlighting and confirming the
importance of quality LMI for informing advice and guidance.
They were also asked to identify what the local opportunities in plumbing for school
leavers were. The majority were able to identify the local college with 12 out of 14
responses however; it was interesting that colleges from outside the area were
identified as well as national providers, perhaps highlighting the lack of provision
within the town itself. Incorrect answers for both local and national providers were
also given indicating a definite gap in current knowledge of plumbing provision.
From the responses given about entry requirements for plumbing training (question
4) although the majority could identify GCSE‟s there was a real mixture of
responses. This appears to indicate a lack of available information or inconsistency
between providers (interestingly this latter point is identified in question 5 comments
as being a problem specifically in regard to entry requirement information).
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When asked about what sources of local and national information do they use
(question 5) again there was a real mixture of responses. Nationally - only 5 out of
the 14 were able to specifically name relevant internet resources and the correct
sector skills council for plumbing (SummitSkills). Locally – half of the 14 identified the
local college prospectus and of these, four identified the college as their only source
of information. Other sources were identified in small numbers and were quite
„woolly‟. In addition 3 identified the One-Stop-Shop (Connexions drop-in) with 2 of
these 3 stating it as their only source of information.
This is quite revealing in terms of individuals having differing knowledge about
sources of information and it also highlights how limited those sources are. In
support of this interpretation, question 6 directly asked if they felt up-to-date LMI on
the plumbing sector is easily accessible and 12 out of the 14 said „NO‟ nobody said
„YES‟ and 2 did not specify.
They were also asked to give comments around this question and common themes
came through including:Messages regarding entry requirements are conflicting between national
and local providers
Not enough training providers or employers locally
Poor information locally
Need for a more local focus
Lack of accessible LMI makes it difficult to give career advice
A need for a „unit‟ to be specifically set up to keep up to date with local
employers.
This seems to support the recommendations mentioned earlier from the Denis Hall
(2009) report where he perceived that those professionals involved in information
advice and guidance in the regional area felt that little LMI was produced locally that
met their needs and that up-to-date facts were required.
In addition question 7 related to how important both local and national LMI was to the
guidance practitioners. Nearly all felt local LMI was of high importance scoring it
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predominantly a nine or a ten on a sliding scale. However although overall national
LMI also came out as having high importance the results were not quite as clear cut
as for the local, with less scoring it a nine or ten and other score ranges being from
eight to as low as five.
On analysis of question 7 responses, it could be argued that local information is seen
to be marginally more valued. This could be for reasons such as the increased
demand to have more young people in education, training or employment
(Government's 2010 NEET reduction target). Perhaps, suggesting a steer away from
advice and guidance and a move towards a focus on information giving and placing
young people into destinations. If this were the case then local LMI would be
essential, however national LMI is obviously also important to most of those
questioned but the slight imbalance of responses could mean there is some conflict
between professional guidance practice and employer constraints perhaps.
Perceptions on the barriers and limitations for school leavers wishing to enter
plumbing (question 8) was interesting in the fact that the recession was not
specifically mentioned but a lack of available employment opportunities was. In
addition (with reference to question 9) nearly all did not have an example where a
young person intending to gain work as a plumber successfully secured
employment. One person said „yes‟ but not within the last year and one person said
„yes‟ but due to family being linked to the industry. This does not mean the recession
has had a direct impact here it could simply mean there aren‟t many plumbers in
Darlington. Either way it warranted further research by questioning local providers
some clarity was sought and discussed in section 3.3.
3.3 Interviews
As the college was the only training provision in the Darlington area offering both a
full time level 2 plumbing certificate and the level 2 apprenticeship both tutors were
interviewed.
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The full time plumbing tutor was interviewed first and face to face this took quite
some time to organise and conduct so it was decided the remaining interviews would
be done by phone and with more clarifying questions to the information already
obtained. A full transcript of all the interviews can be found in the appendices
(Appendix D-G)
First of all what is most striking is that 163 people applied to do the level 2 plumbing
course fulltime in 2009 and there are only approximately 40 spaces in addition to this
the tutor confirmed that the course is made up of all age ranges (although
predominantly 16-19 yr olds) and from a wide catchment area. This demonstrates
immediately a possible reason for lack of training opportunities for Darlington school
leavers as if only 5 students from each secondary school (of which there are 8) were
interested in plumbing, the course of 40 places could be filled. Coupled with the fact
that applicants come from across all ages and from other areas, competition for a
place for Darlington school leavers would be extremely high.
Similarly, the apprenticeship programme also had a wide catchment area and only 5
of the last 14 apprentices were employed in Darlington.
The college tutors were able to confirm the information provided by NGRF website,
that most employers are small „one-man-band‟ businesses and also the predictions
of SummitSkills and the recession impact and the changes in future trends being
linked to environmental technologies and renewables.
The full time plumbing certificate does not offer the full qualification; it could be
argued it is not meeting the needs of the learners. However, the tutor indicated that
they did have success rates in full time learners moving on into apprenticeships but
indicated not all go into plumbing apprenticeships this is an area that the data
analysis hopes to confirm (discussed in 3.4). In addition to this it was mentioned that
future changes will be made to reflect the preferred training option of apprenticeships
as the college tutor indicated the full time level 2 will be replaced with a level 1 to be
used as a stepping stone to apprenticeships and highlights how rapidly things can
change.
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Fig 2. Highlights that the majority of learners (41) that enrolled on the full time
plumbing course at college were aged 16-18 but only 7 of these lived in Darlington
(seemingly due to the wide catchment). Of those 41 only 2 successfully progressed
onto an apprenticeship in Darlington. The majority progressed onto unrelated further
education courses and some went on to other apprenticeships in the construction or
building engineering trades. This does seem to highlight how few the opportunities
are for Darlington young people and also how limiting the full time course perhaps is
as a stepping stone to an apprenticeship in plumbing.
Figure 2 Destination information for the full time Level 2 Plumbing Certificate
at the local college (2009).
For the academic year 2008 – 2009, the local college received 163 applications for
the City and Guilds Technical Certificate in Basic Plumbing (Level 2)
Of these 163 applicants, 43 learners successfully
enrolled on the course
Of these 43 students, 41 were aged 16 – 18
Of these 41 students, only 7 lived in the Darlington area
Of the 41 students, only 2 successfully progressed
into apprenticeships in plumbing in Darlington
13 of the students progressed on to courses related
to other construction or building engineering trades
(e.g. bricklaying, electrical installation etc.)
26 of the students progressed into unrelated destinations (e.g. further
education courses in sport, media, public services etc.)
(Source: Local College, anon 2010)
Entry requirements amongst the college tutors, the national provider and
SummitSkills all do identify GCSE‟s as being important to at least grade C. Some
mention maths and English others included science, all mention a selection test with
only the national provider using their own and not the BPEC (British Plumbers
Employers Council). Only SummitSkills identified colour vision being necessary and
this requirement was also not identified by any of the guidance staff completing the
A.Swainston April 2010/University of the West of Scotland/Diploma in Career Guidance & Development
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questionnaire. This supports the comments of the guidance practitioners about entry
requirement information differing across providers.
The national provider had a North East Regional Manager who was contacted to try
to gain local picture. Again the recession was mentioned as having an impact on the
sector regionally and they said that the apprenticeships have halved over the last
year. Along with the college staff, they identified the recessional impact as not being
just about large construction contractors struggling but in terms of plumbing they
have been most affected by the public spending habits and people putting off getting
work done in their homes and the fact that most plumbers work for themselves
relying on domestic work. In addition as the local college has its own apprenticeship
programme this national provider found that apprenticeship opportunities in
Darlington are scarce and both providers are possibly seeking employment
opportunities from the same employers. Again, they also talked of renewables and
changes to the qualifications framework that will likely introduce new qualification to
include environmental technologies.
SummitSkills North East Business Development Officer confirmed much of what has
already been discussed. However an additional piece of information was obtained
about the plumbing sector as being already “flooded” with unemployed plumbers. He
mentioned that this was often due to misconceived information giving unrealistic
messages this directly supports the views of the guidance practitioners and may
explain why plumbing is a popular choice and that school leavers have
unrealistic/misinformed ideas. In addition he comments on fast track courses
creating a large number of semi-qualified plumbers already out there which the full
time college course the local college has been offering may be contributing to.
3.4 Data Analysis
The following data has been collated using the CorePlus Connexions database
which is accessible for all Connexions Advisers. The data base has several differing
search functions available for use to look up both career choices of students and
current destinations. Career choice is a field usually completed during the year 11
career interview when an adviser can track the intended destination and overall
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career idea of each young person interviewed. The purpose of researching and
analysing this data was to try to validate some of the previous qualitative findings as
well as to explore what other sources of local LMI can be accessed.
Fig. 3 Shows the local 17-19 year olds that left school with a career choice of
plumbing on roll at the local further education college. What this information confirms
is the high competition for access onto the course as throughout the 2007-2009 only
about half of those school leavers with an interest in plumbing managed to gain entry
onto the full time college course in Darlington. Numbers interested almost doubled
in 2008 from 2007 and then remained steady in 2009. This sudden influx of interest
could possibly have been due to some of the misguiding media and advertisements
SummitSkills had previously referred to. The second piece of interesting data is that
of those that did go on to complete the full time level 2 plumbing certificate NONE
progressed into an apprenticeship in plumbing which could either be a reflection of
the limitations of the course and/or confirming the notion that there are few
opportunities for progression.
Fig. 4 Shows the young people aged 17-20 years old that are currently not in
education, employment or training (NEET) that had a career choice of plumbing
when they left school. This table appears confirm and demonstrate both entry
requirements (as being a barrier as previously identified by the guidance staff and
providers), as well as showing a lack of employment opportunities as a possible
barrier.
Fig. 5 Shows the young people aged 17-20 years old currently in employment or
training with employment that had a career choice of plumbing when they left school.
The information is useful to show how many successfully moved into employment
and what progression route they had taken. We can see that a total of 36 had a
career interest in plumbing but the majority left school and went straight into other
employment opportunities. 10 students went onto the full time college course in
plumbing and less than half of those 10 progressed onto a plumbing apprenticeship.
This appears to demonstrate that employment opportunities in plumbing rather than
A.Swainston April 2010/University of the West of Scotland/Diploma in Career Guidance & Development
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employment in general is lacking as only 8 in total gained employment or
apprenticeships in plumbing but the majority did find apprenticeships and
employment in other areas, perhaps indicating the lack of opportunities in plumbing
is not necessarily just related to the recession in the local area but also likely due to
some of the other factors already explored:Competition
Popularity
Small business employers
Not fully qualified (from full time course)
Figure 3
17-19 year olds that left school with a career choice of plumbing
currently on roll at the local Further Education College.
2007
•8 left school with a career choice of plumbing
•4 of those went on to study the Basic Level 2 Plumbing Certificate at College
•The remaining 4 went on to study on other college courses e.g. public
services, joinery, childcare, construction.
•Those 4 that did complete the L2 plumbing course NONE progressed into
plumbing apprenticeships and all went on to do unrelated college courses in
their second year (e.g. IT, Media, public services etc.)
2008
•16 Left school with a career choice of plumbing
•7 of these went on to study the Basic Level 2 Plumbing Certificate at college
•The remaining 9 went on to study other college courses.
•Of the 7 that did complete the L2 plumbing course NONE progressed into
plumbing apprenticeships but instead went on to study unrelated courses in
their second year at college .
2009
•12 left school with a career choice of plumbing
•6 of these went on to do the Basic Plumbing Level 2 Certificate at college and
are still on this course.
•The remaining 6 went on to study unrelated courses at college
(Source: taken from the CorePlus Connexions database April 2010)
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Figure 4.
Young People NEET with a career choice of plumbing
•2 out of 9 left school to go on to the Level 2 plumbing course at
Darlington college but are now NEET due to lack of employer
opportunities.
9 left school
with a career
choice of
plumbing
•1 has a start date agreed for a plumbing apprenticeship after being
NEET for a year looking for an employer.
•5 never moved on to plumbing training as they had not achieved
high enough grades
•1 changed mind from plumbing altogether.
Figure 5
Young People aged 17-20 years old in Employment or Employment
with Training with a career choice of plumbing.
36 left school with
a career choice of
plumbing
(Sources: taken from the
•10 left school and completed the L2 Basic Plumbing certificate at
College
•Of those 10 four students went on to find
employment/apprenticeship in plumbing
•The remaining six of those 10 – 1 went into bricklaying, 1 went
into joinery and the rest found work in unrelated occupations e.g.
Argos warehouse, Bingo Hall, Orange Telecommunications.
•4 of the 36 went straight into plumbing
apprenticeships/employment after school.
•22 of the 36 went into employment with training or employment
in other areas
•Of that 22 six went into employment in one of the other
construction trades e.g. joinery, brickwork, plastering.
CorePlus Connexions
database April 2010).
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2
Photovoltaics refers to electrical energy produced by solar cells
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4.0 Limitations of the Study
When considering the findings of this study it is important to acknowledge the
following limitations:-
1. The research was undertaken in response to the perception about the lack of
opportunities locally for school leavers interested in plumbing. The opportunity
was available to use the local guidance practitioners for completion of the
questionnaire and it is noted the views obtained may not necessarily be the
views of other professionals in similar roles.
2. Initially the concept of the research and the chosen methods appeared sound.
On reflection the sheer amount of information and data obtained impacted on
the quality of the findings in terms of time allocated to the research and size of
the report. The research could have potentially „snowballed‟ and become
increasingly unwieldy for the purpose of the research brief. This meant that
findings were „clipped‟ to try to demonstrate the most useful and revealing
findings but much more could have been written on the subject had time and
size of report permitted. This suggests the report can be viewed merely as a
basis in which to perhaps inform others of areas warranting further
investigations. (See 5.2 Recommendations).
3. As previously discussed in the methodology, it could be argued that there
were potential problems with uncertain findings from the questionnaire used
and it is acknowledged that the design and wording could be improved on. It
is also recognised that the accuracy of the CorePlus data is open to error due
to the large number of people that use it.
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5.0 Conclusion & Recommendations
5.1 Concluding Findings
The research undertaken set out to validate the perception that opportunities in
plumbing training within Darlington are lacking and gain insight into any impacts of the
recession. Exploring the LMI that is available to local guidance practitioners was an
important aspect to help identify current knowledge and opinions before attempting to
confirm the local picture and in identifying any gaps.
The research has highlighted in the first instance how important up-to-date accurate
LMI is when informing guidance. The information gleaned from the questionnaires
suggests that the current knowledge base amongst local guidance staff is varied and at
times inaccurate and out of date. The perceptions about the lack of opportunities were
verified as well as the importance of LMI and the difficulties guidance staff face if LMI is
not easily accessible. Key points to that arose were:School leavers with an interest in plumbing are encountered often amongst
guidance staff.
School leavers are often misinformed and unrealistic about the trade and
potential opportunities available in plumbing
Relying on one or two sources of information does not give an accurate picture
of labour market realities.
Local LMI is of high importance in addition to national information.
Accessibility of accurate LMI within the local area is hard to come by, relying on
prospectuses and provider websites is clearly not enough to give an accurate
up-to date picture especially around the realities of employers taking on
apprentices and entry requirements which varied amongst providers.
The perception about the lack opportunities appears to have been confirmed and that
both the statistical quantitive data and qualititative information analysed suggests the
following:Progression routes in Darlington are both limited and competitive.
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There is only one local provision for training in plumbing available (at the
local college).
The recession has impacted on apprenticeship opportunities both through
changes in public expenditure and potential work „drying up‟ as well as
employer perceptions about taking on apprentices.
There does not appear to be a demand for plumbers within the labour market
that would warrant opportunities arising due to the influx of part qualified and
qualified plumbers already out there.
Many employers are small „one-man-band‟ operations that are not set up to
take on many apprentices if at all.
The full time college course route is not necessarily a viable one for
progression into plumbing employment possibly due to that fact it does not
offer the full qualification which may be a potential barrier. In addition few
places are available and applications are high and from a wide catchment age
range and area.
The full time course at the local college is likely to be withdrawn in the hope of
increasing skills levels through apprenticeship opportunities.
New up and coming training needs for the sector are a future trend focusing
on environmental technologies.
5.2 Recommendations
The research has provided a brief insight into the current LMI and opportunities
available within in plumbing in Darlington. It has perhaps opened the door for
further warranted research on the subject; including obtaining the views of young
people and exploring the suggested misguiding information available on this
sector that is perhaps influencing young people leaving school.
It has identified potentially useful recommendations that can be implemented to
help improve the quality of information advice and guidance now.
Staff training for the local guidance practitioners about the local LMI for the
plumbing sector.
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Local providers should regularly and accurately up-date their information
and entry requirements.
Identifying key staff to take on the role of researching specific employment
sectors regularly in the hope of maintaining up-to-date knowledge that can
then be disseminated to others.
The use of guide books and online prospectuses‟ needs to be verified
through making strong links with the providers to ensure all the correct
information is accurate.
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6.0 APPENDICES
APPENDIX A - Career Research Guidance Outline (provided to those involved)
APPENDIX B - Copy of blank questionnaire (completed by Connexions Advisers)
APPENDIX C – Copy of questionnaire responses
APPENDIX D – Transcript of interview with full time plumbing tutor
APPENDIX E – Transcript of interview with plumbing apprenticeship tutor
APPENDIX F – Transcript of interview with SummitSkills North East
representative
APPENDIX G – Transcript of interview with national plumbing provider
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APPENDIX A
(Address & Telephone numbers removed for
purposes of this report & confidentiality)
Career Guidance Research Outline
My name is Alexandra Swainston
I work as an lnformation, Advice and Guidance (lAG) adviser for Connexions.
I am undertaking some research for my Qualification in Career Guidance at the
University of West Scotland as part of the labour market studies module with a focus
on how guidance professional ensure the IAG they deliver is current and up to date,
in line with industry needs in relation to the plumbing sector.
This questionnaire is a genuine attempt to find out more about local labour market
information concerning young people accessing plumbing training opportunities.
As a matter of good practice all contributions will be anonymous unless you
specifically request otherwise. Participants can choose to be acknowledged as a
contributor should they wish to.
Many thanks for your time and co-operation, if you have any further questions about
this research assignment please do not hesitate to contact me.
Alex Swainston
Personal Adviser (Education Team)
Connexions
March 2010
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QUESTIONNAIRE
APPENDIX B
Topic: Plumbing opportunities for school leavers
Who: Personal Advisers
Organisation: Connexions Darlington
1) How often do you come across Yr 11 school leavers with an interest in
plumbing for post 16? (please circle)
Regularly
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
2) Of those young people you come across with an interest in plumbing,
how often do the following statements apply (please circle):-
a) Students are well informed about the trade and training routes
OFTEN
SOMETIMES
RARELY
NEVER
RARELY
NEVER
b) Students are misinformed
OFTEN
SOMETIMES
c) Students are unrealistic about the trade and employment
opportunities
OFTEN
SOMETIMES
RARELY
NEVER
d) Students are realistic about the trade and employment opportunities
OFTEN
SOMETIMES
RARELY
NEVER
A.Swainston April 2010/University of the West of Scotland/Diploma in Career Guidance & Development
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3) What local opportunities do you know of for young people leaving
school who wish to train as a plumber? (Please list as many as you like)
4) What entry requirements are you aware of that are needed for entry into
plumbing training post 16 (Please comment)
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5) What sources of information do you use to assist you with your
guidance when supporting school leavers with an interest in plumbing?
a) National (please list/comment)
b) Local (please list/comment)
6) Do you feel up to date Labour Market Information (LMI) on the plumbing
sector is easily accessible? (Please comment)
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7) How important to you is up to date LMI for informing guidance on a
scale of 1 -10 (1 = not important 10= very important)
a) On a local level – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
b) On a national level – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8) Are there any limitations or barriers for school leavers wishing to enter
plumbing training? (please comment)
9) Do you have any examples where a young person has had an intended
destination of plumbing and then successfully managed to secure
employment in plumbing? (please comment)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME COMPLETING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE
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QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES
APPENDIX C
Topic: Plumbing opportunities for school leavers
Who: Personal Advisers x 14
Organisation: Connexions Darlington
Questions
Responses
1. How often do you come across Yr
11 school leavers with an interest
in plumbing for post 16?
7=
6=
1=
0=
2. Of those young people you
come across with an interest in
plumbing, how often do the
following statements apply..
A) Students are well informed
about the trade and training
routes.
B) Students are misinformed
C) Students are unrealistic
about the trade and
employment opportunities.
D) Students are realistic about
the trade and employment
opportunities.
Over half the responses felt students
were RARELY well informed whilst 5
people felt they were SOMETIMES well
informed only 2 said they felt they
OFTEN well informed
.
11 felt students were either OFTEN or
SOMETIMES misinformed
Whilst only 3 felt students were RARELY
misinformed.
regularly
occasionally
rarely
never
10 felt students were OFTEN unrealistic
and 4 felt they were SOMETIMES
unrealistic
0 felt they were RARELY or NEVER
unrealistic.
6 felt students were SOMETIMES
realistic and 2 felt students were OFTEN
realistic
6 felt they were RARELY realistic.
3. What local opportunities do you
know of for young people
leaving school who wish to
train as a plumber? (please
comment)
12 identified the local college
5 identified colleges outside of the
Darlington area.
6 identified national provider JTL
5 identified the national provider BEST
1 identified NETA which is incorrect for
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plumbing
2 identified a training provider outside the
area which is incorrect and do not offer
plumbing
3 identified the local council pre –
apprenticeships which is incorrect and
do not offer plumbing.
2 identified the national provider CITB
which is incorrect
3 identified contacting individual
employers
1 identified the NAVMS (National
Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching
Service)
4. What are the entry requirements 7 identified English and Maths at C or
that are needed for plumbing
above
training post 16? (please
comment)
4 identified GCSE‟s but not subjects
2 identified level 2 qualifications
3 identified the BPEC test (British
Plumbers Employers Council)
2 identified science subject
1 identified that it can differ depending on
provider
1 identified they were not sure
1 identified a school report
5. What sources of information do
you use to assist you with your
guidance when supporting
school leavers with an interest
in plumbing? (please comment)
Nationally & Locally
NATIONALLY
Only 5 out of the 14 were able to mention
specific relevant websites.
4 identified the internet (but non specific)
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Websites that were mentioned
included:3 identified www.apprenticeships.org.uk
3 identified the connexions direct jobs4u
website
1 identified Cascaid website
1 identified SummitSkills (correct sector
skills council for plumbing)
1 identified www.ciphe.org.uk (Chartered
Institute for Plumbing & Heating
Engineers
1 identified JTL & BEST websites
1 identified BPEC website
1 identified the NAVMS (National
Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching
Service) website
Other sources mentioned were:1 indentified the Careers 2010 handbook
2 identified ConstructionSkills sector
skills council (which is not specific to
plumbing)
1 identified other connexions personal
advisers
1 identified JTL
2 identified BEST
LOCALLY
7 identified the local college prospectus
(4 of these 7 identified the college as
their ONLY source of information).
1 identified colleges outside of the area
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1 identified staff development sessions
3 identified apprenticeship leaflets
1 identifed the Job Centre
2 identified employers (non specific)
3 identified the Connexions One-StopShop vacancies etc. (2 of these 3
identified the OSS as their ONLY source
of information).
2 did not identify any sources.
6. Do you feel up to date LMI on
the plumbing sector is easily
accessible? (please comment)
12 said NO
0 said YES
2 did not say
Comments included:Poor information on locally written
careers information or employer
information
Conflicting messages re: entry
requirements etc between national
websites and local providers
National data from websites quite
informative
Not enough training providers
locally
Labour market not healthy and not
enough employers taking on
Difficult to find own placements for
young people
Need more consultation and local
employers
More local focus needed
PA friendly websites needed
Difficult to find info online
Don‟t know where to get info from
Lack of accessible LMI makes in
difficult to give realistic career
advice
A unit specifically set up to keep
up to date with local employers
would be useful.
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7) How important to you is up
to date LMI for informing
guidance on a scale of 1-10
(10 being very important)
A) On a local level
B) On a national level
Local
9 identified high importance score of ten
3 identified a high importance score of
nine.
1 identified a score of eight.
1 identified a score of six
National
5 identified a high importance score of
ten.
4 identified a high importance score of
Nine
2 identified a score of eight.
2 identified a score of six
1 identified a score of five.
8) Are there any limitations or barriers
for school leavers wishing to enter
plumbing training? (please comment)
1 identified a lack of progression routes
at level 1
4 identified a lack of providers in
Darlington
6 identified not having the right entry
requirements
1 identified having the right academic
qualifications but not the practical
aptitude
3 identified it as being competitive
8 identified a lack of available employed
opportunities in Darlington
9) Do you have any examples
where a young person has had
an intended destination of
plumbing and then successfully
managed to secure employment
in plumbing? (please comment)
12 said NO
1 said not within the last year.
1 said YES but linked to having
family in the plumbing industry.
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Labour Market Research Question & Answer Session
APPENDIX D
Venue: LOCAL COLLEGE
Topic: Full Time Level 2 Plumbing Certificate and opportunities for school leavers
Interviewee: (PLUMBING TUTOR)
1) What is the age range of the majority of your learners?
Predominantly 16-19 yrs old but the course caters for all ages and has a mix of
ages from 16-42 yrs (presently) all on the same course together.
2) How many places are there on the full time level 2 plumbing certificate?
Approx 40 places split into 2 groups of 20.
3) Approximately how many applicants do you receive?
For the 2009 course intake we had 163 applicants.
4) What are the requirements for school leavers wishing to apply for the
full time level 2 plumbing certificate?
The main requirement is that everyone has to pass the BPEC (British Plumbers
Education/Employment Council) test and have to get 70 % or higher. Whilst
GCSE grades C above in English and maths is preferred if an applicant is able to
pass the BPEC test this is more of an indicator that they would be able to cope
with the level of theoretical exams (of which there are 12). About 80% of those
that pass the BPEC test have already achieved the GCSE grades at C or above
and those that pass the test without the GCSE grades will do functional skills
level 2 alongside the plumbing qualification.
5) What are the main reasons for school leavers not being successful in
their application?
Not passing the BPEC test , poor interview for example, many have unrealistic
ideas about plumbing and assume it‟s good money but don‟t really understand
what the job involves and that it can be a dirty job and we have had students turn
their nose up and dealing with toilets sinks etc! Also school reports can
sometimes be a barrier if they demonstrate poor attendance for example.
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6) What is the approximate percentage of learners completing the full time
level 2 plumbing certificate that progress onto plumbing
apprenticeships?
About a third progress into apprenticeships but some go into other construction
areas, not every person who does the course goes into plumbing but the course
can be used as a stepping stone into other vocational areas in construction.
7) Of those that progress onto apprenticeships do the majority find
employers within their own area?
Those on the course come from a wide catchment area (not just Darlington) and
because of that they usually find something within their own respective areas in
which they live.
8) What type of employers take on young apprentices in plumbing?
One of the biggest plumbing firms in the North East is based in Darlington and
they do take on some apprentices and they are predominantly contracted in from
other businesses for building projects. The main employers taking on apprentices
seem to be more of the „one -man band‟ small businesses and trades people in
domestic plumbing.
9) What (if any) are the main barriers for young people finding
apprenticeships?
Lack of employment opportunities, the recession has had an impact definitely in
recent years, mainly due to the public putting off getting jobs done in the house
which has had a knock on effect for the domestic plumber. For example 18 months
to a year ago a qualified plumber could be asked to as many as 15 jobs a week,
whereas now it‟s more like 15 jobs a month. I don‟t think things like gender should be
a barrier and we have had women applying to do the course and completing. The
cost of taking on an apprentice can sometimes be a barrier as the government has
stipulated they have to be paid a minimum of £95 a week which is about £5000 a
year and if less work is coming in then it can be very hard for employers to be able
afford to take on apprentices. In addition the cost of employer liability insurance for
taking on a trainee can be off putting for some employers.
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Also the college do not find the apprenticeship jobs for young people that do this
course the young people have to get out there themselves and find the work which
can be challenging for some.
10) How does a full time level 2 certificate as oppose to a level 2
apprenticeship, enable young people to progress in plumbing?
We do get some employers ringing up the college asking for potential trainees that
have done well on the level 2 full time course. Although the level 2 apprenticeship
route is probably a preferred option for most employers as you have the full
qualification (NVQ and technical certificate) the full time course can equip a student
with all the right under-pinning knowledge needed to work in plumbing without the
NVQ and this would not be breaching any laws. The only time there is an exception
to this is if specialising in gas as there are specific laws around the level of
qualification required to do gas fitting. It is worth bearing in mind that gas fitting is
where there are more financial benefits and demand for work.
11) How has plumbing been effected by the recession in the construction
and building and public services industry in general?
The recession has hit the construction industry recently and has had a knock on
effect for plumbers as building site work has reduced and this is a traditionally good
income for plumbers. Many are chasing smaller domestic jobs which as mentioned
before has also been limited as people are putting off getting jobs done. Historically
there was a dearth of plumbers as a result of utilities being privatised and there is an
ageing workforce so in that respect there is work out there for young plumbers
especially in light of energy efficiency and boilers etc being made out of greener
materials and households needing replacement boilers and servicing etc.
12) Are you aware of any changes being made to the training routes for
young people wanting to access the plumbing industry?
This year City and Guilds are looking to replace the level 2 fulltime certificate with a
level 1 course to increase skill levels by only offering the apprenticeship route at
Level 2 as this is seen as the best route rather than the full time course at level 2
putting emphasis on employers to take on apprentices. As the renewable energy is
high on Government agendas there is room for up skilling and possibly new
qualifications for the industry in the future.
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APPENDIX E
Labour Market Research Question & Answer Phone Conversation
Topic: Plumbing training opportunities in Darlington
Interviewee: Plumbing Apprenticeship Tutor (Local College)
What are the entry requirements for school leavers wishing to apply for a plumbing
apprenticeship?
Grade C at GCSE in English and Maths are the main requirement (Maths is often the area
applicants struggle most with), passing the BPEC test and diagnostic literacy and numeracy
assessment, and demonstrating the right attitude and evidence of research at interview. The
college has placed a greater emphasis on applicants holding the C grades at GCSE as there
are fewer places for numbers of apprenticeships available although this might not
automatically exclude a candidate who was able to show their aptitude and suitability in
other ways. Most of the time apprentices have to find their own employer.
What is the current situation with apprenticeship opportunities for school leavers in
Darlington?
On a normal year the college would have taken on 15 to 20 apprentices, mostly 16 to 18
years of age, for a four year advanced apprenticeship programme. However approximately
half of these would be young people from in Darlington as the college takes on apprentices
from a wide catchment area including North Yorkshire and Teesside. (Of the 14 plumbing
apprentices completing their qualifications this year through the college, only 5 were
employed by companies in Darlington). Last year the intake was only 12 and this year the
expected intake in 10. There is a major problem with companies struggling with the impact
of the recession and are unwilling to recruit apprentices. Most of the employers taking on
apprentices are one man bands and although there are some larger companies that use the
college for training apprentices, they are currently holding off whilst waiting to see if their
local contracts (e.g. with the local authority) are going to be renewed. There is a problem
with there already being too many plumbers out there. Whilst the college used to offer
applicants who could not find an employer a place on a Level 2 Basic Plumbing Technical
Certificate, this is being removed and is likely to be replaced with a Level 1 introductory
certificate in Building Services.
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Can you comment on any new developments within the trade?
The use of renewable energy should create new sources of employment and the current
apprenticeship framework will be restructured in line with the needs of the industry. The
NVQ will be replaced with a diploma that allows employers to pick an chose the units they
want their trainees to cover. For example, a bathroom installer may only want certain units
from traditional plumbing and the rest from electrical wiring and tiling. Each unit will carry
units and whilst apprentices can take different units at a later stage in their career this will
make apprenticeships far more specialized and less transferable between different jobs
within the plumbing sector.
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APPENDIX F
Labour Market Research Question & Answer Telephone Interview
Topic: Plumbing training opportunities in Darlington
Interviewee: North East Business Development Officer for Summit Skills
What are the entry requirements for school leavers wishing to apply for a plumbing
apprenticeship?
A good level of achievement in English, Maths, Science and a Technology subject,
employers ideally expect a minimum of C grades at GCSE. It is possible for a young person
without these grades to enter training if they had relevant work experience and were able to
demonstrate they had the required aptitude but this is not common. The majority of training
providers will use the BPEC selection test or their own assessment. Colour vision is of
course an essential requirement. A young person needs to have completed an
apprenticeship at level 2 or ideally 3 to progress into the trade.
What are the main barriers for young people entering apprenticeships?
A lack of employment opportunities and the fact there is already a large pool of unemployed
apprentices unable to find opportunities. To undertake an apprenticeship, a young person
has to be employed and employers are reluctant to recruit due to a shortage of work. The
market is currently flooded with plumbers, mostly due to misconceived articles in the press
giving unrealistic messages of high earnings when the reality is otherwise. Many
apprentices drop out before completing their training yet set themselves up as self employed
plumbers. Fast track courses have created large numbers of semi-qualified „one man‟ band
operations which are damaging to the sector. As there is an abundance of plumbers already
out there, employers do not need to recruit in the current climate. Apprenticeship
opportunities are available but not as many as people expect.
What advice would give to school leavers considering plumbing careers?
The green agenda and environmental technology are areas for development within the
Building Services Engineering Sector. Young people can use plumbing training as a
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stepping stone to specialising in working with solar panels, ground and air source heat
pumps and rain water harvesting. The North East is set to make a huge investment in
environmental technology such as wind farms and I would encourage young people to
become more aware of how they can up-skill and prepare themselves to take advantage of
these employment opportunities. I receive a high level of enquiries from 16 year olds at
career events (often as their family have encouraged this) who have not considered
plumbing as anything more than changing tap washers. There is a need to change mindsets
of where to look for future employment opportunities in plumbing and to raise awareness that
new environmental technologies will require higher levels of skill and aptitude from trainees.
The new 14 -19 Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment may be a useful
qualification for school pupils to consider.
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APPENDIX G
Labour Market Research Question & Answer Telephone Interview
Topic: Plumbing training opportunities in Darlington
Interviewee: North East Regional Manager for NATIONAL Training Provider
What are the entry requirements for school leavers wishing to apply for a plumbing
apprenticeship?
Three A – C grades at GCSE or a level 2 equivalent in literacy and numeracy skills. Science
and Technology subjects are preferable but the key skills that employers want are those
involving communication and use of number. Our company uses its own selection test (not
the BPEC test) to assess technical aptitude.
What are the main barriers for young people entering apprenticeships?
The plumbing sector is very depressed from the recession and training providers are finding
that even with financial incentives to offer companies to take on apprentices, employers are
not recruiting due to a lack of work. Historically we would have taken on around a hundred
apprentices a year in the North East but this has halved over the last year. Plumbing has a
direct link to the domestic market and customers are not spending. In addition there are
already a lot of plumbers out there in the market. The search for scarce employment
opportunities in Darlington is also a struggle for us due to Darlington College offering an
apprenticeship programme. We train plumbing apprentices with employers that range from
a few multi-national companies to sole traders for the most part.
What advice would give to school leavers considering plumbing careers?
There are already signs that existing employers are diversifying into the use of renewable
energies. The new Qualification Credit Framework for regulating vocational qualifications
will be introducing changes into current plumbing qualifications to include new environmental
technology. Apprenticeships are not just about training young people to be domestic
plumbers. In September the NVQs and Technical certificates currently delivered as part of
the apprenticeship framework will be replaced by new diploma qualifications that will cover a
greater range of knowledge and competence and be better for both learners and employers.
The Sector Skills Council will be taking a lead on this development.
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7.0 References
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Archive/929095/Tens-thousands-16-year-olds-left-withoutjob-apprenticeship/ Article by Lauren Higgs: 2009 (visited 1/4/2010)
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corporate/migratedD/ec_group/20-08-SC_b
The Race to the Top A Review of Government‟s Science and Innovation Policies
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: October 2007 (visited 1/4/2010)
http://www.summitskills.org.uk/ (visited 2/4/2010)
http://www.guidance-research.org./future-trends/plumbing/summary
(visited 2/4/2010)
Gilbert, N (1993) Researching Social Life: London: Sage
Denscombe, M. (2007) The Good Research Guide for small scale social research
projects (3rd Ed). England: Open University Press: p 134
Hall, D. (2009) The LMI need of Young People, Parents, Teachers and IAG
Professionals: A report to the Regional 14-19 Commissions: Newcastle:
denishallassociates: p18
Careers Education Support Programme (2005) Understanding the Labour Market: A
basic guide for teachers in secondary schools in England: DfES: p12
SummitSkills (2009) Impact of the Recession on the Building Services Sector:
Summary of Key Issues: Milton Keynes: The Sector Skills Council for Building
Services and Engineering.
A.Swainston April 2010/University of the West of Scotland/Diploma in Career Guidance & Development