Plumbing Professionals Development Scheme (PPDS)

Aims and Objectives

WCP & CIPHE will jointly deliver and run the Plumbing Professionals Development Scheme (PPDS) for talent in the plumbing and heating engineering industry.

For those who have passed NVQ Level 2, the scheme will:

• Offer Continuing Professional Development through a systematic Learning Programme (partly on-line) to develop:

a. Technical Skills for a fast-changing trade – ‘green’ net zero and low-temperature systems

b. Business, Commercial, Behavioural, and Teamworking Skills to become versatile professionals

c. The exchange of ideas and networking to raise knowledge and standards

d. The plumbing and heating industry to attracts new entrants

e. Excellence amongst emerging talent in the plumbing and heating sector

• Provide Mentors to raise technical, business, and people skills, and to enhance career development. Each person will have a Personal Mentor and access to a wider panel of subject-matter Specialist Mentors.
• Provide Networking events supported by large industry bodies and organisations.
• Enable members to offer their skills and experience to charitable causes, linked to water. (The Plumbers Charity supports projects that improve the provision of clean water and sanitation, and improve public health and community welfare.)
• Recognise early-career talent in the industry via Awards, Competitions, and Profiles.
• Support career progress to full Apprenticeship, Journeyman, and Master Plumber status.
• Utilise members to promote plumbing and heating careers in schools.
• Propose links to other organisations focused on young people in the plumbing and heating profession, e.g. HIPLOY (SNG Publishing) and WorldSkills UK.
• Provide access to WCP events, especially the Annual Lecture; develop an understanding of the role of the City of London, the Livery movement including its charitable and pro-bono work.
• Consistently promote Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, and equal opportunity for growth.

The Membership Offer

• Each person will become a member of WCP & CIPHE, and that membership will be funded by WCP & CIPHE. Social media platforms will be used to communicate and share the progress of the scheme. #PPDS
• WCP & CIPHE will each offer specific services that play to their strengths.
• For WCP, the scheme will strengthen its links with the industry and help it increase diversity by ‘strategic investment’ to grow emerging talent and retain it in the profession.

Governance and Management

• WCP & CIPHE will each appoint two individuals to manage and drive the scheme. They will report to the WCP Membership Committee and the CIPHE Executive, and will identify candidates and lead the scheme so that members are engaged, maximise their potential, and become committed to long-term membership of WCP and CIPHE.
• The first membership cohort will be a pilot: this group will be selected by the scheme managers. The scheme will be reviewed annually and updated.
• Sources of candidate: after the first cohort, an open application process will be offered.

Contact

Martin Shouler and Dan Tranter are the points of contact for the scheme. Please direct any queries to them through the Clerk, Adrian Mumford: clerk@plumberscompany.org.uk.