NEWS
Agreement has been reached for a 2% wage increase to apply for plumbing apprentices in Northern Ireland for one year from July 7, 2025. The Graded Rates of Wages and Allowances Agreement 2025-2026 has been negotiated by representatives from the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF) on the Scottish & Northern Ireland Joint Industry Board (SNIJIB) with Unite the Union. Published six months in advance to allow employers and employees to plan ahead, the new rates per hour include £13 for plumbing labourers; £14.58 for plumbers, domestic heating and gas service fitters; £16.59 for advanced plumbers, heating fitters and gas service engineers; and £18.36 for technician plumbers and gas services technicians. When the National Minimum and National Living Wage are higher than the SNIJIB apprentice wage rates or vice versa, an apprentice must receive the higher of either which is applicable to their age and year of apprenticeship. www.snipef.org NI PLUMBING APPRENTICES TO RECEIVE 2% WAGE INCREASE FROM JULY
L-R: Conor MacSweeney, Waterman Tecsar Engineering Alliance, and Eric Waterman, Waterman Consulting Engineers, are pictured with the new team in Cork.
Process piping and mechanical engineering roles are among 100 new jobs to be created by the Waterman Tecsar Engineering Alliance at its Cork site. A collaboration between Canadian firm Tecsar Engineering Inc and Waterman Consulting Engineers, which was established in Cork in 1996, the Alliance was launched in late 2023. The multi-disciplinary business offers an array of services to the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage and refinery sectors, with its client base including BASF, DuPont, Dow, Cork Plastics, Shell, Ineos Styrolution and NOVA Chemicals. Hiring is underway with 25 engineers already employed at new offices near the Bandon Road Roundabout in Cork. Conor MacSweeney, Alliance Business Lead, said, “I am really looking forward to expanding our services both in Canada, USA and Ireland, but also in Europe which I believe will be a strong possibility thanks to this union. “The alliance formally cements a good working relationship that has developed over the past number of years, whereby each company has provided services to the other. The Irish industrial market needs additional quality engineering options, and we are prepared to service it.” www.watermantecsar.com CANADIAN-IRISH ENGINEERING FIRM TO CREATE 100 JOBS IN CORK
NRC PLUMBING STUDENT NAMED FINALIST IN NI APPRENTICESHIP AWARDS 2025
Northern Regional College plumbing student Blake Hamilton, who is employed by Newell Contracts, has progressed to the finals of the Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Awards 2025. The recognition follows his Highly Commended award in the Apprentice of the Year category at the NI Plumbing & Heating Awards 2024 held in Titanic Belfast on November 8. Blake is one of three finalists in the Apprentice of the Year category at the NI Apprenticeship Awards 2025, which are set to be held on March 26. The awards celebrate apprentices who demonstrate exceptional contributions
in their workplace and show dedication to excelling in their professional development and learning. Blake, based at the College’s Newtownabbey campus, is a standout apprentice who exemplifies these qualities through his academic achievements, practical expertise and commitment to renewable energy solutions. He consistently excels in both theoretical and practical aspects of his apprenticeship, achieves top scores in his exams and is trusted to manage jobs on-site, showcasing his advanced skills and reliability. www.nrc.ac.uk
L-R: Aaron Scott, NRC, Blake Hamilton and Peter Lynch, NRC.
PLUMBEX BELFAST : REGISTER TO ATTEND AT WWW.BEPEX.IE
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