Steve Willis Training Centres celebrates 25 years in the trade

Steve Willis Training Centres is marking its 25th anniversary this year, celebrating a quarter-century of delivering skills training in gas, plumbing, electrical and renewables across the South and Southeast of England.

Founded in 2000 by industry professional Steve Willis, the business began in Burgess Hill offering courses in gas, plumbing and electrical installation. It has since grown into a two-site operation, with facilities in Burgess Hill and Portchester, training around 500 apprentices and offers one of the largest selections of Gas ACS Assessment Programmes in the region.

Key milestones in the company’s development include the launch of apprenticeship provision in 2004, the opening of the Portchester centre in 2006 and the establishment of a state-of-the-art Gas End Point Assessment (EPA) facility in Burgess Hill in 2019. The EPA centre, developed with support from Worcester Bosch and other manufacturers, is used for summative assessments and has been praised by City & Guilds for its quality and investment.

In 2023 the business added short courses in renewables, including air source heat pump installation and maintenance, reflecting the increasing demand for low-carbon heating expertise. Apprentices completing the Level 3 Gas Engineering Operative Apprenticeship and the EPA can access this training free of charge.

Current apprenticeship programmes include Level 3 Gas Engineering, Installation & Maintenance Electrician and Plumbing & Domestic Heating.

Willis himself entered the trade via a government-funded plumbing scheme during a time of economic uncertainty. He founded the training centre after 13 years in teaching, rising to Programme Manager for plumbing, gas and electrical installation.

Looking ahead, the company says it will continue to invest in its facilities and expand its renewables provision to meet changing industry demands.