Student plumbers are being encouraged to register for the 2025 SkillPLUMB competition, with registration open until March 28th.

The competition will feature challenging practical tests, with the winner being named the 2025 SkillPLUMB champion. Successful competitors may have the opportunity to compete internationally at the WorldSkills event in Aichi, Japan, in 2028.

All registered participants will complete an initial practical task at their college or training provider, which will be assessed by tutors and moderated by SkillPLUMB and WorldSkills UK.

Successful participants will be invited to UK-wide qualifying heats in May and June, hosted at various colleges and training centers. The Northern Ireland heat will be hosted by South Eastern Regional College at its Downpatrick campus on May 20th, while the Scottish heat will take place at SNIPEF’s Scottish Plumbing Apprentice of the Year (SPAY) competition at South Lanarkshire College in East Kilbride on June 13th.

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Top-scoring competitors from the qualifying heats will advance to the UK grand final in South Wales, alongside other WorldSkills UK national competitions.

SkillPLUMB is open to apprentices and Level 2 or 3 plumbing students. The competition is organized by the BPEC Charity and headlined by Ideal Heating, aiming to promote high standards and skills in the plumbing industry.

"We are proud to organise SkillPLUMB and are committed to supporting the regional, national, and international plumbing skills competitions as a means of showcasing the best in apprenticeship training," said Neil Collishaw, BPEC Chief Executive. "Each year the quality demonstrated by our industry’s student plumbers is astounding; we look forward to the excellent standards we’ll be witnessing from competitors again this year."

More information, including training tasks and event details, is available at www.bpec.org.uk/skillplumb.