www.heatingandventilating.net
TRAINING
Equipping heating and plumbing
installers with the skills of tomorrow
Simon Ayers, TrustMark chief executive presents 24-year-old plumber Ruben Duggan as a case study to highlight the vital role apprenticeships play in shaping the future of skilled labour
T
graduates, toward hands-on, intregrated industry training.
he UK’s plumbing and HVAC industries are at a pivotal moment. As the UK accelerates toward its Net Zero targets, there is an
urgent need to modernise how we train and deploy tradespeople, particularly in energy efficient and low carbon technologies. At the same time, the Repair, Maintenance and
Improvement (RMI) sector is grappling with a severe skills crisis. Nearly 195,000 roles remain unfilled and an ageing workforce is putting thousands of small and micro businesses at risk. According to TrustMark’s Skilled to Build report, up to 39,000 businesses could vanish in the next decade unless immediate steps are taken to overhaul recruitment, strengthen training pathways, and improve retention. Among those leading by example is 24-year-old Ruben Duggan, a qualified plumber, who offers a powerful insight into what the future of skilled labour can and must look like.
A grassroots start in a family business
Ruben’s career began in familiar surroundings in his father’s South Wales-based plumbing firm, Powerserv Ltd. He joined as a teenager, completing a four-year Level 3 apprenticeship while attending college one day a week. But Ruben’s journey is anything but traditional. He has gone on to win prestigious accolades, including recognition at the Skills Olympics, and now contributes to national policy development through his involvement with the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE). What makes Ruben’s experience exceptional is not just his skill, but his insight into the structural barriers that limit others from following in his footsteps. He is outspoken about the decline in financial support for small businesses that take on apprentices, as well as recognising that they are critical to bringing more young people into the sector. “My dad got £4,500 when he first took me on. That support’s no longer there, and for a lot of small businesses, that makes taking on young talent a real risk,” says Ruben.
Voices from the sector: the bigger picture
Ruben’s concerns are echoed across the UK. TrustMark’s report, based on research from over 1,200 small and micro businesses, found that 64% of employers cited financial incentives as inadequate, while 39% struggled with the bureaucracy of hiring apprentices. Furthermore, only 34% of businesses had taken on a young apprentice in the past three years. This is deeply concerning given that 44% of the sector’s workforce is aged over 55, and 23% of them plan to retire or semi-retire within three years. The urgency of bringing new talent into the trades is hard to overstate.
Outdated courses and underused mentors
Ruben believes there are significant opportunities for improvement in current course offerings. Plumbing is a sector in flux, undergoing significant change due to Net Zero targets and technological advancements. “We’re taught practical skills on site, but then some classroom time just repeats what we already know.” He advocates for training that adds value, particularly in modern technologies like renewables, and for involving more dynamic, younger tutors who understand where the industry is heading. The report backs him up. It calls for modernised curricula that reflect rapid changes in heating technologies and green infrastructure. It also recommends a shift away from full-time classroom only learning, which often produces ill-equipped
Solutions from the ground up
Ruben believes that the key to progress lies in supporting small businesses - the lifeblood of the sector. Over 90% of RMI businesses in the UK are micro businesses with fewer than 10 employees. Yet many lack the resources to navigate complex training schemes or funding systems. Ruben’s call to action includes boosting employer incentives, updating training provision, and building stronger links between trade bodies and educational institutions. Importantly, the report also points to a significant missed opportunity: only 21% of eligible businesses access Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) funding. Many remain unaware of available support, including the £3.3 billion in unspent Apprenticeship Levy funds that could be redirected to support trade apprenticeships.
A system ready for reform
From Ruben’s perspective, the system isn’t just underfunded, it’s broken. “The whole approach needs a major review,” he adds. “We’re failing young learners, businesses, and the sector as a whole.” His words are more than a critique, they’re a call for transformation. There’s a wealth of experienced professionals, like Ruben who is willing to mentor and teach, and ready to help rebuild it. Ruben himself is already feeding into future training policy, using his lived experience to guide the next generation of professionals.
More progress needed
Ruben Duggan represents the kind of talent the plumbing and HVAC sector needs. Skilled, forward- thinking, and committed to driving progress from within. But his story also makes clear that without structural reform and stronger support systems, thousands of would-be Rubens may never enter the trade. For an industry critical to the UK’s climate ambitions and economic health, that’s a risk we cannot afford.
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