The Company attends the HIP Learner of the Year 2024 competition
On 11th and 12th April, members of the Company attended the 2-day Grand Final of the HIP Learner of the Year 2024 competition for early-career plumbers at the JTL Birmingham Training Centre.
The event was held after a series of heats around the UK saw seven young finalists compete under equal conditions to complete a complex plumbing installation from drawings.
Spot winner Daisy Turner, 3rd from the right:
Julie Spinks, Chair of our Education and Technical Committee, was an important catalyst for the Plumbers’ Company’s active involvement in the HIP 2024 competitions.
The Master commented:
It was excellent to see on display the commitment and skill of such talented people at the start of their careers. Whilst there are many challenges at the ‘macro’ level on education, training, and recruitment in the plumbing sector, it was so heartening to see such next-generation talent showcasing high levels of planning and installation capability to successfully tackle the challenge set.
The trade is entering a critical period where green, low-temperature equipment and installation must come to the fore; this requires much change, where manufacturers, installers, educators, government, and customers need to adapt to deliver the low-energy era that net-zero targets are demanding.
The programme was managed by the HIP Magazine team, backed-up by the expert competition judges led by Head Judge and Technical Manager at the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), Jerry Whiteley, who is also a Liveryman with the Company.
