AUDIO NEWS: Plumbers turn down £133m of work due skills crisis and industry rejects 8-month apprentice plan

Plumbers set to reject £133 million of work over winter period, industry bodies pour cold water on to 8-month apprenticeship plan and tradespeople warned about tool theft

Plumbers are set to refuse £133 million worth of work this winter due to the skills shortage — that’s according to research from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

In a survey, two thirds of plumbers said they will turn down work at least once a month between November and February.

Nearly 40% predicted they would turn away work due to a lack of availability, while a similar number would decline jobs because of the travel time involved.

It’s estimated that over 73,000 new plumbers are needed by 2032 to keep pace with market demand.

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The construction industry has poured cold water on government plans to shorten apprenticeships to just eight months.

More than 20 industry organisations, led by the British Woodworking Federation sent an open letter to prime minister Keir Starmer this week calling on him to re-think the plan, saying it will “severely” weaken the required training.

The open letter also condemned plans to introduce sampling assessments rather than full competency checks on apprentices.

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Tradespeople are being urged to stay vigilant and to move tools to a secure lock-up, as prime tool theft season arrives.

Historically, the winter months see a spike in reported tool theft incidents.

Data from Direct Line Business Insurance indicates that tool theft jumped by 13% in October 2024, compared with the previous month.

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