New CIPHE president will target raising industry standards
Yvonne Orgill is CIPHE’s president for the next year. She is managing director at the Unified Water Label Association and has more than 40 years of experience in the bathroom industry, having held positions that include chief executive of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA).
Yvonne will support the Institute in raising industry standards and her election coincides with CIPHE’s development of two industry-certified Plumbing Apprenticeship. These new standards, once introduced, will create Level 2 and Level 3 career entry points.
The Level 2 Standard will enable apprentices to complete an End Point Assessment that includes hot and cold water installations, sanitation and rainwater systems. The Level 3 introduces further assessment on advanced hot and cold water, low-temperature hot water heating systems and plumbing/heating systems design.
Yvonne says: “The industry is facing a number of challenges, from an ageing workforce to advising customers on how to implement efficiencies and low-carbon technologies in their homes. More than this, plumbers and heating installers have an essential role to play in ensuring we have robust infrastructure in place so we, as a population, can have good sanitation, drainage and improved quality of water.
“The CIPHE has recognised how, by putting training and education first, we can better ourselves as an industry and ensure these high standards are met. The introduction of the new apprentice standards is just an example of this.”