A practical plumbing programme delivered to secondary school pupils across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire is helping to build early interest in the trades while equipping young people with valuable real-world skills.
Formerly operating as Heatcare Oil and Gas, the business – now officially rebranded as Cardo as of 1 June 2026 following its acquisition by Cardo Group in January 2025 – has partnered with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW North East) to roll out a series of hands-on workshops for S3 pupils.
Building on an existing collaboration between the organisations, the initiative introduces pupils to basic plumbing techniques, tool use, heating systems and components, alongside essential workplace skills such as teamwork and problem-solving.
Workshops have already taken place at Portlethen Academy, Dyce Academy, Meldrum Academy, and The Gordon Schools in Huntly, with further sessions scheduled at Inverurie Academy, St Machar Academy, and Northfield Academy.
Each session offers pupils the opportunity to work directly with industry-standard tools, materials and systems, providing an authentic insight into life in the trades.
Kirsty Campbell-Robertson, Depute Head Teacher at Portlethen Academy, said: “The plumbing workshop from Heatcare Oil and Gas provided an excellent learning experience for our pupils, giving learners the opportunity to develop hands-on contextualised skills that are not typically covered within our current curriculum.
“Pupils were fully involved throughout and gained a valuable insight into the plumbing trade and related career pathways. This was a well-delivered, worthwhile experience for our pupils, and I would undoubtedly recommend it to other schools.”
DYW North East played a key role in connecting Cardo with schools, ensuring the programme aligns with curriculum objectives while clearly demonstrating future career pathways.
A number of industry partners also supported delivery of the programme. Aberdeen Heat & Power provided a session on district heating and waste-to-energy systems, alongside a Heat Interface Unit for practical use. Intergas supplied a gas boiler and product insights, while Plumb Centre provided essential materials including pipes and fittings.
Tullos Training introduced pupils to apprenticeship opportunities across gas, plumbing and electrical sectors and supplied personal protective equipment, while SNIPEF Training contributed additional training support and goody bags.
Jane Nelson, Executive Chair of Cardo Group, is also set to attend a further session at Portlethen Academy on 23 June, where she will speak about women in the workplace and the importance of improving diversity across the sector.
Jamie Hutcheon, Director at DYW North East, said: “DYW North East is extremely grateful to Heatcare and its partners for delivering such a fantastic, practical plumbing programme for young people across the region. These workshops gave pupils the chance to get hands-on, build confidence, and experience what working in the trades is really like beyond the classroom.
“Our role at DYW North East is to support and connect schools with employers like Heatcare, ensuring opportunities like this align with education and clearly demonstrate future career pathways. Experiences such as these can spark interest, raise aspirations, and help pupils see the exciting, real-life opportunities available to them as they begin thinking about their next steps.”
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Calum McCombie, Director at Heatcare Oil and Gas, added: “It was great to see such strong engagement throughout the sessions, with students building confidence as they worked through the practical tasks. Investing in the next generation of future talent is important to us, and introducing these skills early on can help open up new opportunities across the industry.
“We’d like to thank DYW North East and all our partners who helped to showcase the wide range of opportunities within the sector – inspiring more people to pursue a rewarding career in the trades.”
Looking ahead, under its new Cardo identity, the business will continue to deliver gas maintenance and services while maintaining its commitment to community engagement and skills development initiatives.
