Plumbing and heating businesses at 'breaking point' amid recruitment struggle

Plumbers and heating engineers in Scotland warn they’re at breaking point despite “huge” demand for work amid a struggle to afford workers and fill posts.

As the country works to meet key housing targets, fitting out newbuild sites with the right plumbing fixtures is crucial.

However, those in the industry have told STV News that profit margins are so slim, they can’t keep apprentices on the books.

There are wider industry concerns about the lack of staffing stifling growth in the sector and the economy.

Precise Installs Group has over 30 staff on the books, including five apprentices, but concerns have been raised about how much longer they can retain them.

69% of plumbing and heating businesses reported being unable to recruit the skilled staff they need.

While 78% claimed it’s unlikely they’ll be able to recruit an apprentice to fill the workforce gaps within the next six months.

Over one-fifth of firms said they could afford the cost of hiring more skilled staff.

The Scottish Government says they’re spending £185m this year to support apprenticeships and want to secure maximum benefit from this investment.

Scott Murphy of Precise Installs Group said: “The cost of apprentice wages has increased somewhat drastically as a business, for us.

“So now instead of taking on three or four per year, we’re now considering taking on a maximum of one.

“We have to be cautious about what jobs we can take on and what we can facilitate. We don’t want to sacrifice quality over quantity.”

Fiona Hodgson of the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation said: “If there’s not enough investment now, it’s going to lead to problems further down the line.

“The other thing we are seeing is an increase in short courses.

“That’s when you start to de-skill the workforce, and if people don’t have confidence in renewables, they won’t install them, so we need to make sure the people actually doing the job are qualified.”