Lowe & Oliver Ltd - Mechanical (Plumbing & Heating) Apprenticeship – Find an apprenticeship

Summary

Would you like to be responsible for the installation, maintenance, and repair of plumbing and heating systems? This apprenticeship will teach you to become a competent plumbing and heating engineer.

Wage: £15,704 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Training course: Plumbing and domestic heating technician (level 3)
Hours: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 4.00pm
40 hours a week
Possible start date: Tuesday 16 September
Duration: 4 years
Positions available: 3

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

The plumbing and heating component is a key part of the construction industry and therefore plumbing and heating engineers are generally responsible for the installation, maintenance, and repair of mechanical services, both inside and outside buildings and structures such as houses, hospitals, schools, factories and shops etc. However, all plumbing and heating engineers will have a broad range of similar technical knowledge and practical skills to enable them to carry out their work safely and correctly.

Some of the things that a plumbing and heating engineer will be expected to do are:

Install, maintain and repair mechanical services (e.g. boilers, pipework, air conditioning, hot and cold water systems, ventilation)
Work indoors and outdoors and be prepared to sometimes work at height
Work with little or no supervision; relying on their own initiative. Be prepared to travel away from home
Develop good working relationships with people
Read both building and engineering drawings
Select (within limits) materials and equipment
Inspect and test plumbing and heating systems
Diagnose and rectify faults on a range of circuits and equipment
Write reports

As you can see, the job of the plumbing and heating engineer is varied and interesting and can offer a challenging career. Consequently, the training programme that you will be following as an apprentice has been designed to help you by meeting and delivering training to these standards and expectations.

Where you’ll work

Cumnor Road Wootton

Boars Hill

Oxford

Oxfordshire

OX1 5JW

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

ABINGDON AND WITNEY COLLEGE

Your training course

Plumbing and domestic heating technician (level 3)

Equal to A level

Course contents

Operate in a safe working manner by adhering to health and safety legislation, approved codes of practice and guidance and applying safe working practices.
Carry out and apply the common processes and techniques used in the installation and test of plumbing and domestic heating systems (cold water, hot water, central heating and sanitary appliances and pipework).
Carry out and apply the common processes and techniques used in the installation and test of rainwater systems.
Plan tasks within plumbing and domestic heating systems industry.
Identify and document hazards for the plumbing and domestic heating systems work. Apply control measures.
Carry out commission and handover procedures and techniques on plumbing and domestic heating systems (cold water, hot water, central heating, sanitary appliances, and rainwater).
Install, test, and commission, electrical and electrical control systems applicable to plumbing and domestic heating systems.
Perform routine service, maintenance, fault diagnosis and rectification procedures and techniques on the non-electrical components of plumbing and domestic heating systems.
Perform routine service, maintenance, fault diagnosis and rectification procedures and techniques on electrical and electrical control systems applicable to plumbing and domestic heating systems including industry safe isolation procedures.
Decommission plumbing and domestic heating systems.
Decommission electrical and electrical control systems applicable to plumbing and domestic heating systems.
Plan, size and select cold and hot systems to meet customer’s needs in accordance with manufacturers guidance, regulatory requirements and industry recognised standards and procedures.
Plan, size and select domestic heating and rainwater systems to meet customers' needs in accordance with manufacturers' guidance, regulatory requirements and industry recognised standards and procedures.
Carry out and apply the common installation processes and techniques used in the installation and maintenance of natural gas systems (up to 35mm R1¼) and natural gas fired hot water and central heating appliances (up to 70kW net heat input) in the workplace.
Install, purge, test, commission and handover low pressure natural gas systems (up to 35mm R1¼) and natural gas fired hot water and central heating appliances (up to 70kW net heat input).
Perform routine service, maintenance, fault diagnosis and rectification procedures and techniques on low pressure Natural Gas systems (up to 35mm R1¼) and Natural Gas fired hot water and central heating appliances (up to 70kW net heat input).
Decommission (including disconnection and dismantling) low pressure Natural Gas systems (up to 35mm R1¼) and Natural Gas fired hot water and central heating appliances (up to 70kW net heat input).
Plan, size and select low pressure Natural Gas systems (up to 35mm R1¼) and Natural Gas fired hot water and central heating appliances (up to 70kW net heat input).
Carry out and apply the common processes and techniques used in the installation of air source heat pump (non-refrigerant circuits) systems.
Carry out and apply the common processes and techniques used in the installation of solar thermal systems.
Test, commission and handover air source heat pump (non-refrigerant circuits) systems.
Test, commission and handover solar thermal systems.
Perform routine service, maintenance, fault diagnosis and rectification procedures and techniques on air source heat pump (non-refrigerant circuits) systems.
Perform routine service, maintenance, fault diagnosis and rectification procedures and techniques on solar thermal systems.
Decommission (including disconnection and dismantling) air source heat pump (non-refrigerant circuits) systems.
Decommission (including disconnection and dismantling) solar thermal systems.
Plan, size and select air source heat pump (non-refrigerant circuits) systems.
Plan, size and select solar thermal systems.
Carry out and apply the common processes and techniques used in the installation of plumbing (above 28mm) and non-domestic plumbing pipework.
Carry out and apply the common processes and techniques used in the installation of plumbing (above 28mm) and non-domestic plumbing systems and appliances (cold water systems, hot water systems, sanitary appliances and pipework systems and rainwater systems).
Test, commission and handover plumbing pipework (above 28mm) and non-domestic plumbing systems and appliances in the workplace. (cold water systems and sanitary appliances and pipework systems).
Perform routine service, maintenance, fault diagnosis and rectification procedures and techniques on plumbing (above 28mm) and non-domestic plumbing systems and appliances.
Decommission (including disconnection and dismantling) plumbing (above 28mm) and non-domestic plumbing systems and appliances.
Operate in a safe working manner by adhering to health and safety legislation, approved codes of practice and guidance and applying safe working practices.
Carry out and apply the common processes and techniques used in the installation and test of plumbing and domestic heating systems (cold water, hot water, central heating and sanitary appliances and pipework).
Carry out and apply the common processes and techniques used in the installation and test of rainwater systems.
Plan tasks within plumbing and domestic heating systems industry.
Identify and document hazards for the plumbing and domestic heating systems work. Apply control measures.
Carry out commission and handover procedures and techniques on plumbing and domestic heating systems (cold water, hot water, central heating, sanitary appliances, and rainwater).
Install, test, and commission, electrical and electrical control systems applicable to plumbing and domestic heating systems.
Perform routine service, maintenance, fault diagnosis and rectification procedures and techniques on the non-electrical components of plumbing and domestic heating systems.
Perform routine service, maintenance, fault diagnosis and rectification procedures and techniques on electrical and electrical control systems applicable to plumbing and domestic heating systems including industry safe isolation procedures.
Decommission plumbing and domestic heating systems.
Decommission electrical and electrical control systems applicable to plumbing and domestic heating systems.
Plan, size and select cold and hot systems to meet customer’s needs in accordance with manufacturers guidance, regulatory requirements and industry recognised standards and procedures.
Plan, size and select domestic heating and rainwater systems to meet customers' needs in accordance with manufacturers' guidance, regulatory requirements and industry recognised standards and procedures.

Your training plan

Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing and Heating
Dedicated training at a college or training centre
Day/Block release depends on college selected
On-site, work-based assessments
Assessment of competence
Functional skills if required for Level 2 English and Level 2 maths
Apprenticeship starts from sign up date

Requirements

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
IT skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Customer care skills
Problem solving skills
Administrative skills
Analytical skills
Logical
Team working
Initiative

Other requirements

Candidates will be required to have a minimum of Level 4 in English, Maths and Science. You will also be required to have completed the assessments on your profile for English & Maths and completed a colour vision test from the optician for Electrical only.

About this company

As a well-respected Employer, we provide a range of services to a variety of existing buildings and new projects. We can also cater for testing and commissioning of any installation. Customer satisfaction is our top priority, and all our employees are professional, friendly, honest, and polite. We guarantee all our work and carry out each job safely, diligently, and efficiently to ensure that clients receive high-quality, cost-effective workmanship that fully meets their needs and expectations.

http://www.loweoliver.co.uk (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

The advertised apprentice wage will increase yearly or upon completion of progressive stages
After initially qualifying, you could go on to supervisory roles, senior management positions

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ABINGDON AND WITNEY COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000294827.

Apply now

Closes on Monday 1 September 2025

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Lowe & Oliver Ltd - Mechanical (Plumbing & Heating) Apprenticeship

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