KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
28th January 2021

We strongly recommend viewing KBzine full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.

Saniflo supports National Apprentice competition

Saniflo has a long history of supporting plumbing students. From working with colleges throughout the UK to providing on-line training modules on its website, the company is committed to investing in the plumbers of the future.

This year Saniflo is supporting the National Apprentice of the Year competition run by SNG Publishing, publisher of the HIP! and Sparks magazines and handbooks for Plumbing students. The competition has been running since 2009 and was conceived to offer students the opportunity to be recognised for their skills and hard work.

This year the event is the biggest yet, with more participants than ever before. There are six regional heats taking place throughout the country with entries from 84 colleges - which provide a great platform for lecturers, employers, industry leaders and manufacturers to come together and support the next generation of the industry. The final takes place in April and features the winners from each regional heat pitting their skills against their peers.

The practical plumbing assignments this year were developed by Tony Kite of CIPHE (the Chartered Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering ) to meet Level 2 of the plumbing syllabus. They feature the installation of a popular Saniflo unit, which enables the apprentices to demonstrate their understanding of alternative plumbing solutions.

As the originator of macerator pumps, Saniflo was delighted to get behind the initiative. John Jarmulowicz is technical manager and lent his support to the development of the assignment:

"This is the first time the practical tests have included the fitting of a macerator pump, so we were naturally inclined to lend our support," he says. "As a Product Sponsor for the competition, we have donated all the Saniflo products to be used in the tests - and we're very pleased that these will go on and be used as teaching resources afterwards. Our technical team has been busy creating presentations and material to help plumbing lecturers which include real life case studies and we believe this will reinforce just how useful our products are in situations where gravity drainage is inaccessible."

The first heats of the competition took place at the impressive Burnley College, which is located inside the University of Central Lancashire. Each student was given a set time to undertake a highly realistic domestic installation which was marked against strict criteria by five judges from the plumbing industry.

The level of plumbing abilities of all the apprentices proved to be most impressive but Tanagon Ashworth of Accrington College emerged as the overall winner of the North West heats for the second year on the trot. He was pleasantly surprised at the task:

"It was definitely something very different this year and none of us expected to install a Saniflo, but it was a really good addition to the assignment. I've seen my employer install these units but I would now feel confident about doing it myself and I can really appreciate the benefits of a Saniflo now when an installation is remote from the mains drains. It's a really good solution and I'm particularly impressed that the pipework is so small.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing what the finals bring in April."

T: 0208 842 0033
www.saniflo.co.uk

6th March 2015