APPRENTICE plumbers are finding it hard to get their foot on the ladder after completing their basic training.

Plumbing has taken over from computing as one of the most popular courses at Lewisham College.

Last year more than 100 applicants were left fighting for only 30 places on the level one plumbing course at the Lewisham Way campus.

The market is currently saturated with the tradesmen, leaving them struggling to find work and unable to complete levels two and three without work experience.

City and Guilds has reacted by closing the level one plumbing award, replacing it with Skills Choice Engineering covering plumbing, mechanical engineering and motor vehicle engineering.

Director of vocational education at Lewisham College Nick Edwards said: "Plumbing is in fashion. It is popular in the same way as computing and IT were five years ago. The problem is it is very technical. People need to be very good at English and maths."

Plumbing firms also complain there is no government funding to help them train apprentices who often leave and find work elsewhere once qualified.

Richard Sturt, director of RJS Plumbing, in Plumstead, said: "Kids have been tempted by tales of huge wages. But it costs £3,000 to train an apprentice and he could leave after being trained up. Lots of firms won't take that risk."

The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors, which represents the trade, admits there is a bottleneck as people rush to fill the gap in the market.

Acting chief executive Clive Dickin said: "It takes six years of continuous work and study to fully train a plumber.

"I believe with time more and more people will be getting through the second and third levels."

Interviews for the 32 places on the Skills Choice Engineering course at Lewisham College will start in April.