United Utilities has joined forces with Preston College to help the college enhance its skills training for the next generation of plumbers and construction workers.
The water company for the North West is working with the college to support students by raising awareness of how plumbing skills, sustainable practices, and environmental responsibility connect to wider water and wastewater management and infrastructure priorities in the region.
Preston College is one of the largest providers of construction skills training in the region supporting learners from pre-entry through to higher education.
Apprenticeship training is core to their offering, and they also support employers looking to upskill and retrain their existing employees.
The partnership was born when a representative from the college attended a ‘Stop the Block’, information session that United Utilities was running in Preston to highlight the issues being caused by flushed wet wipe products.
An initial request for information about clean and wastewater systems to support their plumbing training modules led to the installation of a large wall graphic in the college’s construction skills centre which explains how water and drainage system should be installed and connected.
Zac Wilkinson, Assistant Director of Construction and the Built Environment at Preston College said: “What began as a request for information has developed into a longer-term partnership.
“Working with United Utilities allows us to enhance our curriculum development, apprenticeship delivery, and workforce training with the priorities of regional infrastructure investment and long-term employer needs.
“This ongoing partnership plays an important role in developing the skills pipeline and strengthening the link between education and industry.”
Bethany Greenbank who is managing the partnership at United Utilities added: “We’re investing over £13bn in our Big North West Upgrade – our biggest investment for over 100 years. It will modernise and future-proof water and wastewater services for today and tomorrow.
“Working with Preston College to support the training of the next generation of plumbers and construction workers makes perfect sense for us and we are looking forward to seeing it develop.”
United Utilities has also run ‘Stop the Block’ information sessions in the college and is providing bespoke training sessions – first up will be a session on the issues caused when wastewater pipes on household properties are incorrectly connected to the wider sewer network.
The company’s rainwater management team is also supporting an upcoming Green Skills event at the college.
The information shared by United Utilities has been welcomed by students including 17-year-old Tilly Jordan, from Scorton. Since joining the college in September 2024, she has successfully passed the Plumbing – Level 1 Technical Skills Programme and is now progressing on the Plumbing – Level 2 Technical Certificate.
She said: “It has been interesting and useful to find out more about environmental responsibility and sustainable drainage and linking our learning about domestic plumbing to what is happening in the wider water sector and how it all fits together.”