A minister was schooled in the art of plumbing by an Epping youngster this week.

Nick Boles MP, Minister of State for Skills and Equalities was visiting Barking & Dagenham College in Romford having a lesson with 19-year-old Harry Cunningham who he posed with for a quick selfie.

The college trains 860 apprentices each year and offered a chance for the Minister, who was named in the top 500 influential Britons by the Sunday Times,  to try out some of the many skills on offer for himself. 

Mr Boles was happy to hone his plumbing skills under the watchful eye of Mr Cunningham from Epping, an apprentice plumber for Givehand Ltd in Walthamstow, and to chat to him about skills in today’s business world.

The Minister said after the lesson it was a “great pleasure” to visit Barking & Dagenham College.

He said: “The college is leading the way in building relationships with local employers from the construction sector and beyond to give young people the skills they need to succeed.”

Principal Cathy Walsh, said she was delighted to welcome the minister, saying: "It is a valuable opportunity for him to spend time with apprentices and students, who are all keen to demonstrate their high quality technical and work-ready skills.”

The minister attracted criticism from the construction industry this month after concededing “further design work” is necessary to give employers direct control of apprenticeship funding after a public consultation raised concerns over cost and extra paperwork.

Under the trial model, proposed by the Minister,  the Government pays £2 for every £1 an employer invests in its apprentice’s training.

The national minimum wage for an apprentice is currently £2.73.

In the consultation, put forward by the Department for Business, 75 per cent of employers said the policy could have an “adverse effect" on employer engagement with apprenticeships.