APHC Training is donating £20,000 to support plumbing and heating companies that wish to keep their existing qualified employees up to date on their training.

Companies can apply on a first-come, first-served basis for a one-off £60 grant towards training on selected courses.

Glen Evans, chairman of APHC Training, said: "We believe it is about time someone paid attention to the good, conscientious companies who understand the need to train their employees in order to keep up with their legal requirements, legislative developments and new product innovations. Every penny counts at the moment as companies seek to survive the challenging economic environment, so we are pleased to be able to offer a contribution to these companies to help them maintain their high standards.

"The £60 grant is available to all bona fide plumbing and heating companies. The grant is available to train one existing qualified operative per company and cannot be used towards fast-track training nor towards apprenticeships but can be used on a wide range of continued professional development courses."