Scottish plumbing sector at ‘breaking point’ amid skills crisis

The plumbing and heating profession in Scotland is at “breaking point” due to skills shortages, according to a trade body.

A survey by the Plumbing and Heating Federation has revealed that 69 per cent of businesses north of the border are experiencing low availability of skilled professionals.

It found that day-to-day trading conditions remain stable but confidence in the UK economy is slipping and caution is rising, driven by increasing material and national insurance costs, as well as workforce shortages.

According to the body’s State of Trade report, covering the first quarter of 2025, just 22 per cent of businesses say they are likely to recruit an apprentice in the next six months, only 21 per cent say they are likely to increase staff levels, and 47 per cent expressed pessimism about the country’s economic outlook.

The organisation is also known as the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF).

SNIPEF chief executive Fiona Hodgson said: “Our members continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience amid ongoing global economic uncertainty, but resilience alone cannot replace the need for a skilled and sustainable workforce.

“Our employers have continued to sound the alarm: they cannot find the people they need, and too few have the resources to train the next generation.

“Without urgent government action, our capacity to deliver on housing, infrastructure and net zero targets will begin to manifest in the next two to three years.”

Hodgson called for increased funding for employer training incentives, a review of vocational training and SME support and better alignment between skills policy and Scotland’s decarbonisation targets.

“If we are serious about installing low-carbon heating systems and driving social and economic mobility, we need thousands more trained professionals. That starts with investing in apprenticeships now, not two or three years down the line,” she said.

Hodgson warned in February that heat pumps cannot be rolled out as widely as called for by the government’s Climate Change Committee because there are not enough professionals trained to install them.

SNIPEF’s latest survey was conducted between 24 and 31 March, with more than 700 plumbing and heating businesses and affiliated organisations responding.