The Chartered Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering (CIPHE) has elected Terry Stephenson as national president and Paul Williams as vice president in a ceremony held at its annual general meeting in Chester.

Mr Stephenson has been a member of the Institute for nearly 36 years, and has served as a committee member on the Domestic Heating Group, the Technical Services Board and the Education & Training Group.

He talked about his passion for education and training and welcomed the development of the new plumbing and domestic heating technician 'Trailblazer' apprenticeship, saying he felt strongly that qualifications should be "fit for purpose".

“This is an excellent e-learning academy with over 60 hours of electronic CPD modules in bite-sized elements, which can be undertaken at a time and place to suit the individual,” Mr Stephenson said.

“I hope our members are making full use of this facility, which will help to enhance their knowledge and understanding of a wide variety of topics.”

In his term of office, Mr Stephenson said one of his priorities would be to promote CIPHE membership. He said that while in many vocations it is compulsory to be a member of a professional institute, statutory membership is not the case for plumbers and heating installers.

Following on from the AGM, he carried out his first duty as CIPHE national president, presenting Walter Snowden with a Master Plumber Certificate. Members participated in an afternoon of technical seminars followed by a barbecue.