The Scottish Conservatives have proposed lowering the school leaving age from 16 to 14 to allow young people to get a head start on apprenticeships
The Plumbing & Heating Federation said that the idea was 鈥渞eckless, unworkable and deeply irresponsible鈥�.
While the school leaving age is standard across the UK, the Scottish parliament has powers to go it alone on this issue. Russell Findlay, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, currently the second biggest party in the Scottish parliament, said teenagers should be free to pursue a 鈥榟ybrid鈥� education to escape a 鈥榮ystem that isn't working for them鈥�.
Fiona Hodgson, chief executive of the Plumbing & Heating Federation, said: 鈥淎llowing children to leave school at 14 and enter apprenticeships is not just unrealistic, it鈥檚 irresponsible. Our industry operates under strict safety regulations, and we cannot fathom how a child of that age could legally or safely take on the demands of plumbing and heating work.
鈥淓ven at 16, securing accommodation and appropriate support for apprentices is a significant challenge, particularly in rural and island communities where many must travel to the mainland for college.
鈥淓xpecting to extend this to 14-year-olds is not just unrealistic, it鈥檚 an unmanageable logistical and safeguarding nightmare, creating serious risks for both employers and young people. The insurance and liability issues alone make this a non-starter.鈥�
The Plumbing & Heating Federation is the new name for Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers鈥� Federation (SNIPEF).
It also raised serious concerns about the academic implications of the proposal, questioning whether pupils would have the necessary foundational skills before leaving school.
聽鈥淥ur profession requires a solid grounding in maths, science and literacy; these are non-negotiable for everything from heat loss calculations to system design,鈥� Hodgson continued.
鈥淚f pupils leave school at 14, they risk missing out on the critical skills needed to complete qualifications, progress in their careers, or even change direction if they realise a trade isn鈥檛 for them.鈥�
Rather than pushing younger children out of school prematurely, the federation called for greater investment in apprenticeships and further education pathways for those of genuine working age.
鈥淎pprenticeships should be an exciting, skilled career choice, not a last resort for children forced out of mainstream education before they鈥檝e even had the chance to explore their talents,鈥� Hodgson added.
鈥淚nstead of throwing 14-year-olds into a system riddled with risks, we should be focusing on helping those of real working age access the training and opportunities they need to build successful futures.鈥�
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