Plumbing, heating and cooling specialists, Wolseley, have made a generous donation of tools to SMB College Group’s Plumbing & Gas department, which is based at the college’s specialist technical and trade site in Coalville.
The tools, which include an array of spirit levels, tape measures, pipe benders, wrenches, pipe cutters and more, will be used by the college’s full-time students and apprentices who are studying on Plumbing, Heating and Gas programmes.
Richard Pegler, Local Account Manager for East Midlands and Lincolnshire, said ‘We are proud to be able to donate a wide array of up-to-date tools for students to benefit from during their course, allowing them to get experience with the latest equipment and help them to become industry-ready.
‘Here at Wolseley, we have worked with the college over many years for a number of purposes, including making this donation and providing work experience opportunities for students. We have also attended the Hip Learner of the Year Competition on several occasions, of which the Midlands heat is always hosted at the Stephenson Campus due to the fantastic Plumbing facilities on offer.’
The work experience placements that Wolseley have offered to students have been invaluable, teaching students what a career in a plumbing merchant organisation is like – allowing them to learn all the correct terminology for the equipment and get experience in a real industry environment.
Level 2 Plumbing student, William Allen, completed his work experience with the company this academic year as a part of his Plumbing course. He said ‘My duties were varied and included organising and filling shelves with stock and talking to customers to assess their needs and help them select the best fittings to suit their requirements. I really enjoyed my work experience placement.
‘I’m glad that I chose to study Plumbing as I believe that it’s good to get into a trade. I currently travel to the Stephenson Campus from Loughborough to study. Looking forward, I’m hoping to progress onto a Level 3 Apprenticeship programme with the college to further my knowledge of the industry.’
The company, who have a local branch just 5 minutes away from the Stephenson Campus, are one of the UK’s leading merchants in plumbing, heating and cooling infrastructure. The chance for SMB College Group’s students to gain work experience with them is a fantastic opportunity to increase their industry knowledge in addition to gaining vital transferrable skills that they can take with them into their careers and beyond.
If you’re keen to get into the Plumbing & Gas trade, there’s still time to apply to study at SMB College Group’s Stephenson Campus starting this September. Apply today at www.smbcollegegroup.ac.uk.
If you’re an employer from the Construction, Engineering or Building Services industry and would like to offer work experience placements, participate in an Employer Skills Forum, or learn how to take on an apprentice, get in touch with the helpful team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01530 836 136.