Gas exams?

[Steelmasons]

Surely Picasso I've already answered this for you..................he's 23 not 17................there are other things on the horizon ie mortgages etc so although he wants to do it the relaxed n right way real life needs the earnings to ramp up

The bottom has fallen out of this trade , he'd be better off stacking shelves @ a local supermarket.
Every man and his dog wanted to be a plumber a few years ago , now they want to be a gas man...
Does he think he'll earn more as a gas man than he would as a plumber?

 

[mcmoby69]

You say he's spent his working years in retail, yet is mechanically minded. In what way?

Has he ever done any plumbing at home or for family etc? How did he get on?

As a kid I used to pull stereos apart, wire basic flashing lights up to speakers. Modify bicycles and build 'bogies' or go carts. Sure nothing to do with plumbing, but taught me how to use tools etc from an early age.

I don't want to **** on anyone's chips , but if the interest isn't there by age 23 then I suspect it never will be.

I started my apprenticeship at 16, qualified plumber at 19 and job foreman at 21. Worked for the same firm till I was 26. Put up with loads of doodoo during those years but learned loads and earned loads, worked serious hours up and down the country. Loved it.

Never did my gas till I stopped working away due to wife and kids at 27. The yearn to learn is still with me 20yrs later.

Does your lad have it in him? (Honest question)

 

[DIYedboy]

A fair question mcm................he recently replaced his clutch on his fiat without any help, he replaced the 'clock spring' on his steering column, he replaced the cambelt on his twin overhead cam engine, replaced bent valves etc, that's the clue that tells me he has ability which can be harnessed to be a plumber/ gas fitter

 

[ianmcd]

But can he use an Oscilloscope ?

 

[DaveHerns]

DIYedboy, please be careful as you could ruin the relationship with your SIL and daughter if you're not careful. I wish now I'd had a bit of guidance in my early years and I might have become great like Dan.... However I'm not sure I'd have taken guidance well at the time and might have kicked back. It's only when you realise your achievements aren't great compared to some that you wish someone would have steered you in the right direction.
He might think you think he's not good enough for your daughter.....

 

[ChrisR]

Father in law person:
I'm retired, and don't look in often. Good for you for helping the guy out, it's hard to know where to look.

Everyone in the business has their own perspective, as I do.
In some cases, opinions tell you more about how those with vested emotional interests think things should be, rather than how they are.
Many many many people will tell you a load of nonsense about needing a lifetime of experience. It may help, or not, but isn't necessary and doesn't make you the best person or engineer or businessman. You only have to be good enough.

My own route/experience is way off typical, so a different angle of view. Routes have changed over the years so I may be out of date.

Plumbing and gas are separate.
You don't need any plumbing qualifications to become gas registered.
Some plumbing knowledge may be useful, some not. If all you ever do is service boilers, you don't need much.

You used to need to do a gas qualification, which lead to a teacher at NESCOT in Surrey inventing the "Guild of gas fitters" qualification, which did the job. That avoided slogging through pedestrian NVQ plumbing, which had gas bolted on.
I did full C&G though as an underling, sheet Lead roofing and all.


I was an ACS gas assessor/examiner for a few years while I was still installing, so I saw a few hundred blokes come through. (And 4 women).
As a beginner, you also require experience, to satisfy the ACS gas criteria. Nearly everybody lies about the experience.
You used to practically have to, so accepting lies became the norm. Maybe that changed. (At one time you had to have experience of fitting some ridiculously large number of gas hobs under supervision, for example.)
There are lots of short cuts, so look for them.

The worst individuals I encountered while assessing, were "limited" old soaks with a bloated sense of of their own value, insecure from only ever having learned about one thing in a lifetime. Beware of advice from those.

It's not hard, but it all depends what mental abilities/aptitude you have. Anyone with a science-ish A level could easily learn all you need to know to pass the "gas exams" in a weekend. As they could for NVQ2, with an extra day for NVQ3. There's less in "the gas", than a modern GCSE, say. (As hobby I now teach GCSE and A level, (electronics and physics) so I'm up to date for those.) If a science GCSE would, or would have been, too much of a stretch, then it would be a struggle to get through the gas training & qualifications. Most of it's applied common sense though, so it's understandable.

ACS centres have a vested interest in passing people, and they know that they're only checking a sample of the material. They never have enough time to do all that they're expected to either. We tried with every new set of "requirements", and found three different Boards', sets, utterly impractical to test entirely.
If someone knows and understands the basics and can look stuff up, and they aren't too arrogant or thick, they pass. They aren't going to be dangerous unless they're careless.
A newbie would need to know a list of things, but it wouldn't cover more than a couple of sides of tight 10pt A4. Learn it by rote. Let's not call that hard?

If you fail, - no big deal. You can make the cost up on the first boiler or two you fit.

If you want, tell him to fit bathrooms in the mean time. Easy money in Surrey if you're reasonable at it.

Hope that helps, just a bit.

 

[AGAS]

i can't be fooked to read all of this thread after just finishing work so ill answer your original question , it is hard the get an apprenticeship nowadays , actually near on impossible as people think its a road to riches ,its fooking not. if he's got a job doing this sort of work then the obvious thing to do is keep working with this chap while looking elsewhere because at least he is still learning something ( if poss ) , If he keeps looking while mixing with people within the trade he will come across opportunities . as for trying for a quick way , please , stop being an fooking idiot ( putting it politely ) as its a quick way of doing the exact opposite your trying to achieve . there is only one way for him to do it for certain and that is NVQ 2 & 3 & GAS QUALS ( min nearly 4 years ) , FFS you sound an educated man and you must realise this but why do i get a feeling you are that SIL but i don't give a fook really . theres a big difference between fooking printing than dealing with gas and i know you know that so please advise whoever that maybe by doing it right then you won't waste time ( believe ,you will ) . you can guide him but got to stop wiping his ass if you know what i mean because after all he has got some god dam studying to do ( which will never stop ) because if he doesn't he won't last 5 mins TBH . sorry for being blunt but i suspect you already know this shyte already .

 

[mcmoby69]

A fair question mcm................he recently replaced his clutch on his fiat without any help, he replaced the 'clock spring' on his steering column, he replaced the cambelt on his twin overhead cam engine, replaced bent valves etc, that's the clue that tells me he has ability which can be harnessed to be a plumber/ gas fitter

Fair does

I never bothered to repair my own cars when I was younger. I was always earning, no wife and kids so just sent to it off.
Nowadays I have more time so I'll dabble. You learn patience when working on boilers and cars, so not a bad thing.

I would suggest getting into basic plumbing first rather than being 'elite' for a better word.
Would he handle getting covered in the general public **** and ****?

Baby steps is the answer. I personally think the step into gas registration is a huge one as there are so many manufacturers and models it's a minefield for a newbie.

 

[PullerGas]

The bottom has fallen out of this trade , he'd be better off stacking shelves @ a local supermarket.
Every man and his dog wanted to be a plumber a few years ago , now they want to be a gas man...
Does he think he'll earn more as a gas man than he would as a plumber?

100% agree Steely. Too many course cowboys & career change chancers.
The ironic thing is; most will not employ them on sites etc. Good site Plumbers need to hit the ground running. So, the CC/CCCs end up working SE & it's completely killing private work for good Time-Served guys.

 

[DIYedboy]

DH, don't beat yourself up mate, very few of us mortals are destined to reach Dan's heights, it's a wise man that knows his limitations and is content with what he has achieved because he also knows that he could have done a lot worse! Of course SIL is not good enough for my daughter, but then again neither is superman!

Chris R, a great post and very helpful.................I also went to Nescot and gained my electrical quals back when it was the 16th edition, parts 1 and 2 then 2391 inspection and testing after that. Perhaps I could take you down the Adelaide, buy you a pint, bring the SIL and we could chat further.............

AGAS what a shame you won't read all the posts..................some of my best work is embodied within. Sadly you have gambled and lost, I'm 55, a print engineer now turned printer that runs a Roland 900 xxl 6 colour press which is bigger than the ground floor of my house.................I won't be slogging for a nifty a day that's for sure! Doing the quals in the correct order is what he would want if time allowed, but it don't cos life pressures of getting on the housing ladder etc are the drivers sadly,.............life, what a shame we are all just hamsters running our nuts off chasing the money on the hamster wheel of life!!

 

[AGAS]

for a nifty a day that's for sure! Doing the quals in the correct order is what he would want if time allowed, but it don't cos life pressures of getting on the housing ladder etc are the drivers sadly,.............life, what a shame we are all just hamsters running our nuts off chasing the money on the hamster wheel of life!!

FFS hes 23 yrs
what really surprises me after what you said you have achieved , something doesn't fit right with your rely . if you actually think this is going to work your on a losing track guaranteed , then he/you might get a housing ass property to enjoy because you don't seem to listen and will probably put you/SIL back into your successful printing engineering career you seem to relish but seek other employment opportunities , why ?

Sadly you have gambled and lost

na I've gambled and doing very well thank you , thats because I've done this this career the right way and I'm still learning . i would say carry on and roll the dice and good luck because you need it .

 

[DIYedboy]

AGAS................we seem to be suffering a communication crisis.................you've suggested you think I am the SIL (that was the gamble) I hoped I had relieved you of that idea with the information I gave you.............it seems not

 

[AGAS]

AGAS................we seem to be suffering a communication crisis.................you've suggested you think I am the SIL (that was the gamble) I hoped I had relieved you of that idea with the information I gave you.............it seems not

whatever , just please take the advice given . .

theres a riddler on the loose ( private joke , nothing to do with you )

 

[PullerGas]

Christ!! You're getting it tight Dan!!
You try & help, all they do is slag you off??!!

 

[DIYedboy]

Puller, that's kind of you to sympathise with Dan, but let's face it, it's just a bit of banter, n who don't enjoy reading a bit of that!, Dan's a clever bloke, he can take it n still rise above it I'm sure.......................what is the point of being alive if we can't all have a bit of fun too before we die?