WTM Plumbing’s story

17 Jun 2026

How WTM Plumbing grew by solving the industry’s biggest challenge

Since launching in 2018, WTM Plumbing has grown from a small domestic operation into a 27-person team delivering large residential and commercial projects, including multi-million-pound developments.

Their success comes from tackling a core industry problem: not recruitment, but training.

Director of WTM Plumbing, Jason McCabe shared: “It’s hard to find top-quality engineers. The labour pool is small - and it’s getting tighter.”

When talking about his experience of working with other learning providers, he said: “It feels like it’s more ticking boxes than training engineers. Coming to OEA was a breath of fresh air, the training was structured, the tutors were always there, and you actually learned what you needed on site.

When asked about how this impacted his career, he explained: “This meant I could get out on site, earn sooner, and add value much quicker. Now, taking on apprentices is a big investment - but it’s the only way we can grow, and OEA makes that possible!”

As the business scaled, finding skilled, reliable engineers became increasingly difficult. Traditional recruitment proved unsustainable, and apprenticeship routes often failed to produce job-ready talent. Director Jason McCabe described inconsistent training and a system focused more on compliance than practical competence.

Recognising this, WTM Plumbing shifted their strategy. Instead of relying on a shrinking labour pool, they invested in developing their own workforce through a structured training approach with OEA.

This model provides:

• Clear, consistent training programmes with strong tutor support
• Real-world, site-aligned learning that accelerates productivity
• Faster, flexible progression (typically around 3.5 years)

The impact extends beyond skills. Training engineers in-house ensures consistency, strengthens culture, and improves retention. Apprentices quickly gain confidence and contribute meaningfully - with some progressing to independently running sites.

WTM’s journey shows that the skills shortage cannot be solved through hiring alone. Sustainable growth comes from investing in high-quality training and developing talent internally.

The takeaway: Don’t compete for scarce talent - create it.