Plumbing

Get the technical and practical workplace skills needed to thrive in the plumbing industry.

You will learn alongside industry experts and build a successful career in plumbing with us. You will gain and develop the vital skills to work and flourish in this exciting industry.

You will learn the fundamentals of the plumbing industry as you build on your practical skills, as well as deepening your knowledge of plumbing with lots of hands-on practical work. As you advance, you will cover the complex fundamentals of the plumbing industry, developing the expertise and knowledge required to enter the profession.

We also offer apprenticeships in plumbing, allowing you to earn money while you work. You will spend one day a week at college, participating in classroom and practical-based sessions. The other four days will be spent working, putting what you have learned into practice.

Subjects

• Plumbing: If you enjoy hands-on working, we can develop your plumbing expertise and technique via a combination of classroom-based study and practical work experience.

Qualifications

We offer qualifications from Level 1 (equivalent to GCSEs, grades D–F or 3–1) to Level 3 (equivalent to A Levels).

Facilities

You will learn through a combination of both practical and theory work via workshop activities and practical assessments in our industry standard workshops and classrooms. Facilities include the amazing Technology Campus in Blackbird Leys (Oxford), opened in 2016 following an £8m investment to create dedicated facilities for engineering, construction and building services.

Career pathways

A career pathway is a series of building blocks that will take you to your future career. This helps equip you with the skills, attributes and knowledge that future employers want, giving you a greater chance of success.

Our career pathway maps will show you the best routes through college, higher education and employment and into the most popular industry sectors.

Student success

Plumbing, electrical and engineering students at the Technology Campus attended a one-day event run by Skanska. The session was designed to teach the students vital employability skills in the construction industry, such as: team work, problem solving, time management and working under pressure. The students gained experience of these skills through a game simulation devised by Skanska.

Case study 

Nick Ryan, Plumbing Apprenticeship

Nick Ryan is making a start on his career in plumbing with an apprenticeship, having already completed his Level 1 and 2 qualifications at college.

The 18-year-old took an entry level course in general construction before deciding the plumbing route was the one for him. He said: “I chose college because I heard it had high standards and good teaching staff. I like a challenge and I felt plumbing would develop my skills and get me ready for an industry which could offer a job for life.”

During his time at college, Nick mastered the plumbing basics and is now further developing his skills on the apprenticeship. He said: “College made me the person I am today and got me a job in my chosen trade. My plan now is to become fully qualified in oil and gas in order to become a fully trained heating engineer.”