Yorkshire taps into French plumbing talent

14/03/2008

Two plumbers have journeyed from France to fix the leaky taps of a South Yorkshire town.

Nicolas Hermann and Pierre Vaillandet, both aged 17, have joined 2010 Rotherham, the management organisation that maintains council housing, to help fix taps, tinker with boilers and keep tenants' bathrooms in good working order, reports the Sheffield Star.

Paul Rushton, 2010's mechanical and electrical service manager, told the paper: "Our workers have really engaged with the French apprentices and I hope we can all learn from each other."

The two apprentices are on an exchange programme arranged through Business and Education South Yorkshire which aims familiarise foreign plumbers with British technical skills and products, such as Hudson Reed taps and Image showers.

Business and Education South Yorkshire works to prepare students in the area for working life and builds links between schools and businesses.

A total of 60 apprentices from France will be taking placements with businesses in the region over next year, with ten of these being plumbers.