Skills Training Group

Skills Training Group: technical training for the gas, electrical and plumbing sector

Skills Training Group is a vocational training centre based in Scotland, founded in 2011, which delivers employment-focused courses in heating, electrical, plumbing, renewable energy and first aid. Its offering exceeds 100 courses and is aimed both at people looking to enter the sector and at professionals who need to renew their certifications and at companies training their workforces.

Training offering: more than 100 courses across several disciplines

The catalogue is organised around categories such as new entrant courses, domestic gas, commercial gas, plumbing, electrical, LPG, metering, oil, renewable energy, first aid, IOSH Managing Safely, CITB and SIA. The company states it has trained more than 7,000 students since 2011, with a satisfaction rate of 99.4% and a pass rate of 98.7%. The site indicated more than 10,000 enrolments and more than 200 five-star reviews.

Gas and heating

The flagship programme is the full-time Gas Managed Learning Programme, lasting 29 weeks, aimed at new entrants to the domestic heating industry. It includes training on gas boilers, cookers and air source heat pumps, and is accredited by LCL Awards. The company guarantees a work placement with a Gas Safe registered employer within this programme. For active gas engineers, the Domestic ACS Package (Refresher) – CCN1 & Appliances is offered, lasting 3 days, for £670, which allows domestic gas qualifications to be renewed. There are also commercial gas, LPG and oil courses.

Electrical

The electrical offering includes the 1-day PAT Testing course (£195), which prepares participants to become a qualified and competent PAT tester; the Level 3 18th Edition & BS 7671 Wiring Regulations course (£395), with a 3-day option or 1-day update, with an LCL Awards certificate equivalent to City & Guilds; the C&G 2391-52 Level 3 Inspection and Testing course (£895), accredited by City & Guilds and aimed at experienced electricians responsible for the initial verification and certification of installations; and the Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation course (£350), corresponding to Level 3 in the installation and commissioning of charging equipment at domestic, commercial and industrial locations.

Plumbing and renewable energy

In plumbing, the Legionella Risk Assessment and Treatment course (£200) is taught, which equips participants to carry out risk assessments and produce professional reports. In renewables, the Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) course is offered for £595, with certificate, for the installation and maintenance of systems without refrigerant circuits; and the Solar Photovoltaic Installation with Battery Storage course, lasting 5 days, for £890.

First aid

The first aid courses include First Aid at Work (£195), lasting 3 days in blended format (1 day of online learning and 2 in person), with CPR and defibrillator training, suitable for high-risk environments; the 1-day Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) course for £95, for low-risk environments such as offices, shops and libraries, also valid as an entry requirement for SIA, with an FAIB certificate; and the Level 3 Paediatric First Aid course (12 hours) for £95, designed in line with EYFS and approved by Ofsted, which meets the requirements of OFSTED and CSSIW and is aimed at facilitating EPA (End Point Assessment). In addition, first aid training is offered at the client's premises nationwide, with a fixed daily rate of £495.

Construction and safety

In the CITB field, the SMSTS course (£430) is taught, for site managers, agents and those responsible for supervising teams on site, which reinforces the planning, organisation, monitoring and safe management of operations; the SMSTS Refresher (£240), delivered live via Zoom to update knowledge and renew the current certificate; the SSSTS (£199), a recognised qualification for those moving into supervisory roles, focused on site safety, legal responsibilities and leadership; and the SSSTS Refresher (£198), also live online, to keep current certificates up to date. The offering is completed with metering, IOSH Managing Safely and SIA courses.

Facilities, teaching staff and methodology

The company states it has invested more than £250,000 in the last year in its training facilities. Its teaching staff are industry experts with qualifications in teaching, assessment and quality assurance. The curriculum is practice-oriented so that students gain confidence in the skills learned, and certificate issuance can be completed in as little as 5 working days.

Presence and coverage

Skills Training Group operates from centres in Paisley and Dalgety Bay, and offers courses in numerous locations across the United Kingdom, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Fife, Kilmarnock (Ayrshire), Leeds, Leicester, Leith, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oldbury (West Midlands), Portsmouth, Sheffield, Solihull, Exeter, Plymouth, Southampton, Swansea, Aberdeen, Cambridge, Hull, Norwich, Stoke, Sunderland and Wolverhampton, as well as various areas of London (east, north, south and west). The company presents itself as a training and consultancy provider for some of the largest employers in the UK gas and utilities sector, including British Gas, Scottish Power, Actavo, Richard Irvin, Morrison Utilities Services, Providor and Everwarm.