Returning for its fifth year, the UK Plumber of the Year competition will reach its climax next month, as a new king is crowned.

A joint venture of JT, Bristan and Wolseley UK, the competition has grown in popularity year-on-year since its launch in 2015.

This year was no different with applicants from across the UK throwing their hat into the ring with hopes of becoming Plumber of the Year.

The Final Countdown

From an original shortlist of 10 candidates, the field has been whittled down to just five remaining finalists as a result of a public vote.

The final five include:

• Christopher Clare – Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside
• Paul Clark – The Wirral, Merseyside
• Caine Curtis – Yeovil, Somerset
• Dan Tempest – Pontefract, West Yorkshire
• Martin Warnes – Harwich, Essex

The five nominees will now go on to the grand finale, set to take place next month.

A Hot Pot

This year’s Plumber of the Year prize pot consists of a variety of industry perks, including £2000 worth of items from JT, £2000 worth of vouchers to be spent at Wolseley and £1000 worth of products from Bristan.

Bristan is also throwing in their new Rapid 4in-1 Boiling Water Tap and, yes, they’re even including the kitchen sink – quite literally.

The top prize also features a variety of other perks, from Apple products courtesy of Vendigo Finance to a beer-centric getaway from Cornwall’s Proper Job beer.

A New King

Last year’s final was won by Steve Bartin from Taunton, who walked away with the title and his part of a prize pot totalling £10,000.

Speaking at the time, Bartin said: “It’s an honour to call myself the UK Plumber of the Year. I’ve been in the industry for 23 years and I feel like all those extra hours and dedication have paid off.”

In one month’s time, that honour will fall to a new plumbing king when one of the final five is crowned the 2019 winner.

Pipe Dreams

The Plumber of the Year award is a great way to recognise trade excellence and for the plumbers themselves to gain some well-deserved recognition from industry and public alike.

Many of these finalists and past winners will have started out with little to no experience at all yet, through heart, drive and determination, have made it to the top of the trade.

If you are looking to start your journey into the world of plumbing or simply looking to sharpen your skills and add a few strings to your bow, why not take a plumbing course with Access Training UK?

Our wide range of courses caters to all experience levels, with each one designed to help you learn and grow into a better plumber and skilled professional.

Who knows, in a few years’ time, you too could find yourself in the finals of the Plumber of the Year! Every journey starts with a single step, so make yours now with Access Training UK.

For more information on plumbing courses from Access Training UK, call now on 0800 345 7492 or get in touch online using the link below.

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The summer of 2019 has seen business heat up for self-employed electricians and plumbers across the UK, according to new figures published by Hudson Contract Services Ltd.

Statistics provided by the construction industry payroll experts show that self-employed plumbers and electricians have both seen a rise in pay over the summer months.

This increase builds on an existing trend that has seen plumbers and electricians solidify their status in the top three best paying jobs of all the construction trades covered by Hudson Contract.

Shock Stats for Electricians

Over the course of June and July 2019, self-employed electricians have seen a 6.4 and 1.1% month-on-month rise in weekly pay.

Managing Director of Hudson Contract, Ian Anfield, had this to say:

“This is an attractive reward for young people who want to learn the trade, be their own boss and enjoy the returns of being a valued supplier. Looking ahead, pent-up demand for new housing and the necessary wiring work will ensure that demand remains strong for skilled electricians.”

Plumbing Wages on the Boil

The month-on-month boost was mirrored in the plumbing profession with a 4.7% increase in June, followed by a further 0.6% increase in July.

The Hudson Contract MD added:

“Plumbers are earning the equivalent of an annual salary of more than £59,000, putting them into the top 6% of households by income. Our analysis shows these skilled freelancers are earning a premium for their valuable services and are a world away from ‘gig economy’ workers.”

Plumbing Courses and Electrician Courses

With such attractive financial potential, both the plumbing trade and electrical trade offer attractive propositions for those looking to start their careers or change the direction of their working lives.

At Access Training UK, we offer a variety of courses in both fields, designed to help learners of all skill-levels and experience to further their journey in their chosen profession. If you are interested in becoming an electrician or learning the plumbing trade, we can help get you on the right track.

To find out more about the exciting worlds of the plumbing and electrical trades, click on the buttons below and start your journey today. 

Plumbing Courses

Electrician Courses

For more information on plumbing and electrician courses with Access Training UK, why not drop us a line and speak with one of our expert advisors? Call now on 0800 345 7492 or get in touch online by clicking the link below.

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A recent study by Which? has revealed that dodgy DIY is a primary cause for plumber call-outs across the UK.

In a survey that covered over 3800 Brits, the variety of home maintenance jobs tackled by the untrained, unequipped and unqualified ranged from unblocking a toilet to fitting an entire bathroom suite.

Somewhat predictably, these DIY plumbing jobs often end in a damp squib, leaving many homeowners in hot water.

As a result, this translates to a lot of extra work for UK plumbers.

The Numbers

The results of the study highlighted some interesting trends, particularly when it comes to the common DIY tasks we attempt at home.

According to the Which? study, 53% of those that took part had attempted to replace a set of taps themselves.

Theoretically, assuming this survey is indicative of the nation as a whole, that means over half of Britain has dabbled in home plumbing in pursuit of saving a few quid.

Meanwhile, a further 41% had attempted to plumb in an appliance themselves and 35% have attempted to fix a leak.

DI-Why?

On the flip side of these figures, traders are commonly hired to help solve these issues created by over-enthusiastic DIYers.

In fact, over 60% of the traders surveyed had been called in to finish the aforementioned tasks, proving that there really is no substitute for first-hand knowledge and professional experience.

Worse still, these DIY disasters often lead to even worse problems occurring, from small leaks developing into larger issues to poor installation completely ruining kitchens.

DIY Plumbing Courses

One thing that’s abundantly clear from the study is that DIY plumbing jobs are a sure-fire way to get yourself in deep water – quite literally at times!

That being said, here at Access Training UK, we have a variety of entry-level plumbing courses available, designed to help you not only become a DIY VIP but also a veritable plumbing pro in no time at all.

Ideal for anyone looking to learn a new skill, perfect their DIY skills or change their career path entirely, these plumbing related courses have the ability to change your life as well as your home.

Essential Plumbing Course

Designed for absolute beginners, this course provides you with a firm understanding of the basics and sets you up for a potential new career in the trade.

Professional Plumbing Course

This all-level course provides a variety of useful qualifications, designed to equip you with the knowledge to confidently enter the world of professional plumbing.

Advanced Plumbing Course

Ideal for beginners or those looking to update their existing skills, this course allows you to learn the ins and outs of plumbing and gas fitting.

Bathroom Installation Course

Specifically designed for those that want to design and install bathroom suites to a professional standard, this course is open to all skill levels.

For more information on our plumbing courses, call now on 0800 345 7492 or hit the button below to get in touch online.

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Whether you are brand new to the trade industry, itching for a change of direction, or just looking to refresh your knowledge, Access Training's Plumbing and Electrical courses are just what you need! Our state-of-the-art training centres across the UK are the perfect place to start if you're looking to kick-start or advance your career as a plumber or electrician.

Our Plumbing and Electrical courses have helped countless people to gain the industry-recognised qualifications that enabled them to succeed as professional tradespeople. When you go the traditional training route, it can take years to gain the qualifications necessary to start work as a plumber or an electrician; however, each of our courses aims to get you fully qualified within a far shorter timeframe than traditional methods.

Our Plumbing and Electrical courses are also perfect for anyone already working in the industry who wants to refresh their training or add new skills to their portfolio.

Browse our Plumbing and Electrical courses now

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We design all of our courses to suit our students, which is why we offer three different options to suit all ambitions:

• Our Essentials courses give you the foundation knowledge needed to become qualified.
• The Professional courses go further, giving you a comprehensive preparation for your new life as a professional electrician or plumber.
• Our Premier courses go further still - these are our most advanced training programmes, and they include a range of additional qualifications that will really help you to stand out from your peers when you're looking for work.

All of these courses are designed for budding tradespeople with no prior knowledge of plumbing or electrical work, so even if you've never so much as changed a fuse or taken the lid off a toilet tank, we can help you to become accomplished and successful in your new trade.

If you have any questions about our Plumbing and Electrical courses, feel free to get in touch with the Access Training team!

A new book recently released entitled “My Mummy is a plumber” encourages young children to start thinking about a career in plumbing. This book published by butterfly books, in collaboration with the UK’s accreditation scheme for plumbers – watersafe.  Not only does it aim to reduce the current skill gap by encouraging young people to learn a trade, it also encourages girls to consider a career in trade.

Even though these books are a brilliant idea and we really think that they will help get children interested in trade work in the future, these books are aimed at children who are between the ages of 3 and 7. So, unfortunately, they do not help the close the skill gap that we are presently experiencing.  

Not only does a career in plumbing need to be encouraged to young children to ensure that the skills are not lost to an ageing population, a career in plumbing, its benefits and how people can enrol onto plumbing courses through training centres, needs to be promoted to people who are aged 18 and above, so that the present skills gap can be decreased.

To help bridge the gap, we offer a wide range of plumbing courses for people who are over the age of 18.  Access Training’s plumbing courses are so popular because they have been specially developed for students who have no prior experience or knowledge about plumbing and work with them so they can gain relevant, and industry recognised qualifications, such as City & Guilds awards and NVQ diplomas.

In our state-of-the-art training centres we aim to emulate real life situations, so our students leave our courses confident that they can tackle any domestic plumbing issue presented to them. Because our students leave our courses fully competent plumbers it is easy for them to find jobs working for an already established plumbing firm, or set themselves up as a self-employed plumber.   

So if you fancy a new challenge and always fancied a trade career, enrolling onto one of plumbing courses couldn’t be easier. Simply get in touch with us either by phoning us on 0800 345 7492 or fill out our contact form, and a member of our team will get back to you.

Essential Plumbing Course

Professional Plumbing Course

Premier Plumbing Course

Here at Access training we provide a number of plumbing courses in Kent that have been tailor-made for people who are looking to change their career. All of our courses are perfect for the absolute beginner, through to people who are industry professionals who are looking to expand their skill –set.

We know that you are all living busy lives, and changing your career path, especially when you have no prior experience can be a scary prospect. Here, at access training, we aim to make the transition as smooth as possible; we work tirelessly with our students and teach them everything that they need to know to become a fully qualified plumber in the shortest time possible.  

If you are living in Kent, or living near Kent, you can train to be a plumber at our state-of-the-art training centre located in Edenbridge, a quick 30 minutes’ drive from Tunbridge Wells.

If you are not currently living in the Kent area, we provide a range of appealing accommodation packages. It’s a good idea to stay near the training centre for the duration of your course as it is imperative that you arrive on time every day. Furthermore, some of our plumbing courses require you to read in the evenings and prepare for the next day. Straying away from your family and friends will minimise distractions allowing for you to complete your course quicker. Click here for more information about accommodation packages we offer in the Kent area.

Finally, all of our plumbing courses and training centres are accredited by City & Guilds, NVQ, and Logic. And our plumbing courses in our Kent training centre are no exception. So when you enrol on a plumbing course in our Kent training Centre, you can be confident that you will receive the highest training, and receive a nationally recognised qualification.

If you would like more information about the plumbing courses we offer in Kent, and all of our UK based training Centres. You can contact us by telephoning us on 0800 345 7492  or  you can fill out an enquiry form here and a member of our team will get back to you.