A North Kent College student has secured a place in the national qualifying heats of SkillPLUMB 2026, one of the UK’s leading competitions for plumbing students and apprentices.
Mia Pollard, one of the College’s Level 2 Plumbing students, has successfully progressed to the next stage of the prestigious competition, which is designed to promote and showcase high standards and skills across the plumbing industry. Organised by BPEC Charity, SkillPLUMB is the only industry competition aligned to the WorldSkills UK network.
The qualifying heats will take place at the Royal School of Military Engineering, Brompton Barracks in Chatham.
Nicholas Smith, Lecturer in Plumbing at North Kent College’s Tonbridge campus said, “This is a fantastic achievement for Mia and a valuable opportunity for us to showcase the skills, ambition and professionalism of our students. Reaching this stage of a national competition reflects positively on the quality of teaching, training and support being delivered within our plumbing provision.
“It also provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the work we are doing as the South East Construction Technical Excellence Collage. We are developing technical excellence, raising aspirations and supporting learners to compete at a high standard within the construction and building services sector.”
Construction Technical Excellence Colleges are a national £100 million initiative focused on addressing skills shortages within the construction industry. The programme responds to more than 35,000 vacancies across the sector and supports the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million new homes.
Led by North Kent College as the hub organisation, SECTEC brings together employers and skills providers from across the South East to improve the quality, accessibility and scale of construction training. The collaboration aims to develop a skilled and sustainable workforce capable of meeting the region’s growing housing and infrastructure needs.
North Kent College offers Plumbing courses at both its Tonbridge and Gravesend campuses, with students benefiting from industry-standard workshops designed to reflect real working environments. The College has also developed strong links with local employers, helping students progress into Apprenticeships and employment opportunities within the sector.
Courses are delivered by industry-qualified staff and include Awards, Certificates and Diplomas from Level 1 to Level 2 through City & Guilds qualifications, which can lead directly into NVQs and Apprenticeship frameworks once students gain employment within the industry.
Find out more about our Plumbing courses.