Rotherham business owner "disappointed" with college after years-long delays in training apprentice

A plumbing business owner says he is “disappointed” with Rotherham College for creating long delays in training his apprentice, branding it a “six-year saga”.

Glenn Johnson, who runs Accomplished Gas Services Ltd, blames RNN and Rotherham College for failing to get Thomas Nightingale to the end of his training.

Normally, an apprenticeship would take three or four years but Mr Johnson says Thomas has still not reached the end after six.

He said: “I took on an apprentice, Thomas Nightingale, through RNN in October 2020.

“I originally approached Rotherham College because I wanted to give a young person the opportunity to train and build a career in the plumbing and heating industry.

“What should have been a straightforward apprenticeship has now become a six-year saga. Thomas is still not qualified and, as we approach the end of 2026, he does not even have a confirmed date for his final End Point Assessment.

“I made a formal complaint to RNN in March 2025 about the delays, quality of training, assessment and communication. RNN subsequently acknowledged that Thomas and I had ‘not received an experience consistent with the Group’s high expectations’ and accepted responsibility for this. They promised to take action to expedite his progress, with October 2025 indicated as the target for him to reach Gateway.

“That target was not met.

“Thomas has since completed his gas training and successfully passed his gas examinations in April 2026 through an independent college arrangement made through the college.

“Despite this, he is still waiting to complete his apprenticeship and we have no confirmed date for his End Point Assessment.

“This has also had a real impact on my business. I have continued to employ Thomas, pay his wages and other employment costs and release him for college, while being unable to make full use of him as a qualified engineer.

“The longer the apprenticeship continues, the greater that impact becomes.”

Mr Johnson added: “Apprenticeships are supposed to give young people a route into a skilled career while providing employers with properly trained future tradespeople. When a young person can spend six or seven years within the college system and still not have completed their apprenticeship, I believe there are legitimate questions that need to be asked.”

A RNN spokesperson said: “RNN Group acknowledges the concerns raised by an employer regarding a student’s Plumbing and Heating Apprenticeship and remains sincerely apologetic to both the student and the employer for the delays and shortcomings in their experience.

“We recognise that staff turnover within our plumbing department affected the continuity and delivery of training, and that we did not meet the expectations or commitments we had made to the student and the student’s employer. While the plumbing sector faces significant national challenges, including skills shortages and changes to apprenticeship standards, we accept that these do not excuse the individual failings in this case.

“The RNN Group is pleased to confirm that the student’s qualification has now been claimed, bringing the student a significant step closer to completing the apprenticeship and undertaking their End Point Assessment, an external validation of apprenticeship skills.

“We have also taken wider action in response to the challenges within the department. Since July, we have closed the Plumbing and Heating Apprenticeship provision at Rotherham, transferring apprentices to alternative provision within the RNN Group or to external providers where this is in their best interests.

“We are grateful to the employer for their continued support of our student and for bringing these concerns to our attention.

“We recognise that this experience has fallen short of the standard we expect, and our priority now is to ensure our student completes the final stage of the Apprenticeship as smoothly and promptly as possible.”

Responding to the statement, Mr Johnson said that he and Thomas have now received emails and phone calls explaining the next steps.

He said: “These include plans to get the apprentices back in for refresher training in preparation for their final assessments, although no dates have been confirmed as yet.

“It is disappointing that it has taken several attempts at submitting formal complaints, followed by the involvement of the press, before any meaningful action appears to have started.

“In my opinion, the college has been aware of the problems within its plumbing department for several years but has failed to address them adequately.

“Instead, it has continued to enrol new intakes of plumbing apprentices, placing increasing pressure on assessors and tutors, both permanent and agency/freelance staff, to deliver training and complete assessments.

“I do agree with the statement that the plumbing sector is experiencing significant national challenges, including skills shortages.

“I genuinely fear for the future of the construction industry in this country.

“Under normal circumstances, employing an apprentice is already a significant financial commitment and, for many small tradespeople and businesses, simply isn’t financially viable. Add to that years of additional stress, uncertainty and frustration for both apprentices and employers, and it’s hardly surprising that opportunities for young people are becoming increasingly limited.

“I also believe that the plumbing qualification, in its current format, is fundamentally unfit for purpose. Far too much time is spent documenting evidence, ticking boxes, rewording portfolio entries and obtaining signatures and countersignatures.

“Tom has possessed the practical knowledge and ability required to pass this course for several years. Yet, rather than being able to demonstrate that ability and progress into his chosen career, he has been held back by an excessive amount of administration, bureaucracy and red tape.”