Celebrating a Brilliant Year with Shrewsbury College

Throughout the year, we have worked with some fantastic industry partners to bring practical training sessions into the college for students and apprentices.

A big thank you to Geberit, Uponor, Albion Valves, FloPlast, Worcester Bosch, McAlpine, Severn Trent and Polypipe for getting involved and sharing their time, knowledge and experience.

The sessions have given students the chance to get hands-on with products, learn more about different systems and ask questions directly to people working in the industry.

Highlights from the year

Phil Edmunds and Keiran Marsden from Geberit trained nearly 80 students and apprentices over two days, with everyone receiving Geberit Mapress certification.

Paul Burt from McAlpine brought product knowledge, practical insight and plenty of entertaining stories from site, while Paul-Alan Jones and Jason Goddard from Severn Trent delivered useful water regulations briefings covering compliance and day-to-day site operations.

Together, the sessions gave students a valuable mix of practical training, industry knowledge and real-world experience.

Jo Bowen, Marketing Manager from PIPEKIT said:

“It has been great to see the students and apprentices grow in confidence throughout the year. Seeing them take their training into the workplace and put what they have learned into practice is what makes this partnership so worthwhile.

“The support from our industry partners has been fantastic. Sessions such as the Geberit training and Paul’s visit from McAlpine give students practical knowledge, real site insight and experience they can use as they develop their careers.”

Chris Hesketh, Curriculum Manager for Construction and Trades at Shrewsbury College, said:

“Providing our students with meaningful industry exposure has always been a key priority for the plumbing department at Shrewsbury College. Through our partnership with PIPEKIT, our full-time students and apprentices have gained invaluable opportunities to engage directly with industry professionals, explore innovative products and develop a greater understanding of current industry practices.

“PIPEKIT’s commitment and support have made a significant impact on the student experience, and we look forward to building on this successful collaboration in the coming academic year.”

For us, the partnership is all about supporting the next generation and helping students build confidence alongside the practical skills they are developing in the classroom, workshop and workplace.

Thank you to the college team, all our industry partners and everyone who took part throughout the year.

We are already looking forward to building on the partnership and doing even more together during the next academic year.