Why Apprentices Like Ethan Are the Future of Plumbing & Heating in Scotland

The UK plumbing and heating sector is facing an urgent challenge: a rapidly growing skills shortage. Thousands of experienced engineers are nearing retirement, and too few young people are entering the industry to replace them. The impact is being felt across businesses, households, and the economy — and it’s only set to worsen unless decisive action is taken.

At SmartGas, we believe it’s time to change that. That’s why we’re proud to welcome Ethan Wright, our new apprentice, to the team. His story is a compelling reminder of both the potential of young people and the barriers they face when trying to enter the trades.

• 50% of UK construction businesses say they can’t find skilled staff
• One-third of current tradespeople expected to retire in the next 10 years
•  Fewer than 1 in 10 students are encouraged to pursue vocational careers
• Apprenticeship uptake has dropped 38% in some UK regions since 2017

  Source: Pro Builder Magazine, SNIPEF, Gov.uk

“After a fair bit of trial and error, and more than a few changes of heart, I’ve finally found myself on the path to becoming a plumbing and heating engineer. The whole “what do I actually want to do?” dilemma really kicked in towards the end of secondary school. I knew deep down that university wasn’t for me, I just couldn’t picture myself enjoying that environment, but that left the big question: what could I see myself doing long-term?

At one point, I flirted with the idea of becoming a chef, but quickly realised the pace and pressure of a kitchen didn’t suit me. I even considered something more ‘sensible’, like going into IT, but the idea of being stuck behind a desk all day didn’t sit right either. Despite this, school kept pushing the same old message “go to uni”, even if you’re not completely sure what for. There wasn’t much on offer in terms of guidance for those of us who wanted something more hands-on. No real efforts to connect us with different industries or arrange meaningful work experience.

After finishing school, I took a year out. I worked a bit, then went travelling on my own across South-East Asia, which was a dream destination of mine. It was an amazing experience, being somewhere completely new, away from the usual distractions. That trip gave me the headspace I needed, and when I got back home, something clicked. I started looking into trades, specifically plumbing and heating, to see what the job actually involved.

The more I learnt, the more it appealed. The idea that no two days are the same really appealed to myself, and that the job takes you into all sorts of environments. Last summer, I went on a serious hunt for apprenticeships and courses, but to no avail, as it seemed I had just missed the cut-out for them. So, I carried on working part-time and focused on building up something that would help me stand out the following year.

In my own time, I managed to organise weekly work experience with a well-respected plumbing and heating engineer in the Edinburgh and Lothians area. It was brilliant experience, he gave me a proper insight into the day-to-day realities of the trade, and got me involved where he could. That experience really solidified my interest, and I knew then that this was the career I wanted to pursue.

Having that work experience under my belt made a real difference. It gave me something solid to put on my CV, and helped me stand out when applying for apprenticeships. After a lot of effort and persistence, I was fortunate enough to be offered an apprentice role by SmartGas, something I’m genuinely grateful for, especially knowing how many applications they received. The whole process of trying to land an apprenticeship was far tougher than I expected. It really opened my eyes to just how competitive and under-supported the pathway into trades can be.

I even contacted a few of the local councils to find out when they’d be advertising apprenticeship roles, especially with the well-known shortage of tradespeople, not just here, but across the UK. I was genuinely shocked to hear they weren’t putting aside any budget for new apprenticeships in the sector, despite how crucial these jobs are to the country’s infrastructure. It feels like the local government isn’t doing nearly enough to support young people who are trying to break into essential services like this.

In my view, they should be working more closely with organisations like SNIPEF to highlight the incentives for qualified tradespeople to take on apprentices. If they don’t, we’re going to face a serious skills gap in the years to come. I really hope they begin to take development in the trade industries more seriously, as the shortage can already be clearly seen.”
— Ethan, Apprentice, Smart Gas Solutions

Ethan’s journey reflects what many employers and educators already know: the traditional school-to-university route simply doesn’t suit everyone — and that’s okay. What’s not okay is how little support exists for those who want to take a different, more practical path.

Despite the government’s push to “rebuild Britain” by supporting young people into sectors like construction, many local authorities still lack the funding, structure, or partnerships to deliver real change on the ground. In fact, even when Ethan proactively contacted councils, he discovered that no budget had been allocated for apprenticeships in his field — a shocking reality in the face of such clear demand.

Taking on an apprentice isn’t just about filling a position. It’s about safeguarding our future workforce, maintaining high standards in essential services, and offering life-changing opportunities to people like Ethan.

As SNIPEF put it when we shared the news:

“With a skills shortage looming, we think it is more important than ever to support the Plumbing & Heating Industry by recruiting the future workforce.”

Ethan’s story shouldn’t be the exception. If we want a resilient, skilled trades workforce for the future, we need a national effort to:

• Fund local apprenticeships consistently
• Partner schools with real-world employers
• Promote the trades as equal to university
• Support businesses to take on and train apprentices

Useful links:
• https://snipef.org/apprenticeships/
• https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice

Ethan officially joined the SmartGas team in June 2025. We’ll be documenting his progress, training, and day-to-day development across our blog and social channels.

• Know someone unsure about university but loves practical work? Share this with them.
• A local business considering taking on an apprentice? Reach out — we’re happy to share advice.
  
• Want to support the next generation of engineers? Follow and engage with their journeys.
  

Together, we can protect the future of the plumbing and heating industry — one apprentice at a time.

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