Becoming A Plumber

Apologies if this thread has been made before but I thought it would be best to ask professionals. I'm 16 and don't want to pursue my education into doing I.T in college so I want to learn a trade and I want to do plumbing.

What is the best route to become a plumber? How long does it take?

Any other general advice and information would be great.

Thank you

Edit: After doing some more reading people have said stay way from these courses and that the industry is in decline at the moment. If anyone could elaborate further I would appreciate it.

pick a better trade the trades sh*te now.
you can earn more in asda without the agro.

I agree with seco, but if your hell bent on it apply to british gas academy
the course costs 16k but the govenment will pay it for you as your a school leaver.

No matter what trade you choose you need to do a full proper traditional apprentiship, the longer you spend learning (you never stop learning) the better imo, you should leave an apprentiship being exceptionally competent and confident in your trade.

i've been in the trade 25 years + this has been the worst 2 years ever. I am both Gassafe and Napit registered, have Nat & LP Gas, Part P domestic installer, bpec solar accredited and still don't make more than if i was a trolley boy at asda!!

too many 6 week course cowboys out there, working for sweet FA get into a better trade would be my advice.

Persimmon - part of charlie church national housebuilders - have rescued their share price - By cutting Subbies money Don`t ya just love the UK Free Market Economy Forget plumbing - I have

Me too agree with the professionals above.

I have found the only way to make it pay more than minimum wage, when you don't have a paye job in the trade is to subcontract.

When you subcontract they treat you like a piece of rancid dog dirt. That is the main contractor and their customers if they find out you are not on the payroll.

Even then though after your huge overheads due to regulations, politics (nanny state) and excessively complexed expensive equipment, memberships on-going training, you will still get less return than someone who stacks shelves overnight at Asda, the difference being people's lives are in your hands for such little return, and if you get it wrong (which is more than easy to do in so many ways) you need to keep your back to the wall when picking up the soap in the showers in jail.

Take up carpet fitting roofing plastering or shelf stacking, they all pay better.

I can't really argue with any of the above comments.

If you aren't put off yet, forget the short courses, no one is going to employ you after one and at 16 you're not going to be looking at going on your own straight away (you won't have enough practical experience anyway). Do the rounds and try to get your self an apprenticeship.

You want more elaboration on why not to go on a short course.

I have given two different individuals a chance who had been on short courses which cost them around £4,000. they were both quite mature relative to you but not too old to be fit and able, and both utterly unproductive. Neither would survive if their life depended on their plumbing skills.

Skill with the hands can't be taught it has to be felt over a number of years. The head knowledge can be integrated with this on the job.

i totally agree with paul i am gas safe etc but i am thinking of getting a no brainer job ,no stress ,holiday pay,no grief and no comebacks.dont believe all the papers they are far better trades/jobs

Well you could look at it in a completely opposite way.

At 16, it is going to take him about 5 years to complete his training to a decent level. By then hopefully most of the CC will have found something else they think will pay better and all their bad work will be left for us to put right.

Hopefully in 5 years the economy may have turned an important corner as well, through natural selection and nothing to do with this shower in power.

Also at 16 there is f all else for kids these days, you can't get education places and those that do will be the highest qualified shelf stackers and mcDonalds employees, they certainly will not get a proper full time job unless they 'know' somebody in the right place.

So, I would say go for it, expect to be treated like sh i t for the first 2 or 3 years, but take every opportunity to learn and gain experience from those that are teaching you.

Contact all you local 'larger' firms, see your careers adviser, be persistent and positive, this will come across to your prospective employer.

No one wants to employ somebody with a negative attitude. When you do find a placement, don't fall into the trap of listening to the disgruntled idiots who think the boss is a t**t. Make your own mind up about things, because at 16 you will be naive and gullible.

Avoid one man bands like me, we neither have the time, money or inclination to train anybody at this moment in time, even though I am doing well at the moment.

Life is what you make it, but look to the future and not right this minute.

Good luck, and think carefully about whether you really want to be in this trade first, rather than just think 'oh that sounds good, I'll try it'.

Whatever you do you will need to have committment and flexibility to acheive good results.

Very negative at moment so exuse me ,but could be far worse in 5 years if you need a trade go be a brickie or a plasterer i know they are skilled jobs before you all start but when your trained thats it no body to pay every year no more training every 5 years and you get same money if not more!

5TIMES said:

I agree with seco, but if your hell bent on it apply to british gas academy
the course costs 16k but the govenment will pay it for you as your a school leaver.

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the guy has ambitions to be a plumber, so why steer him towards BG? they won't teach him how to be a plumber,

OP you need to get onto the plumbers federation rep for your area to see if he can tie you up with a college and firm to get an apprenticeship, should take 3-4 yrs depending on how you get on with college etc,

Also get out there and ask the local plumbing firms to see if they are starting anyone. You might have just missed the boat for this years college intake but they might have another college class starting in january, so if you could get a start you would go to college then.

As some have said things are tight at the moment, but hopefully things will turn round a bit, and by the time you are time served you could be better off.

Good luck and i hope you get in as it has been a great job for me, i have earned plenty and built up lots of experience, i would recommend it to anyone as long as you are hard working and honest.

On the point about expenses and people telling you to get a job as a brickie etc as they dont need to pay for assessments every 5 yrs if you work it out at £650 for a reassessment course, and 24hrs x £30 for time lost to do the reassessment this equates to less than £5.50 per week,

I know there are other costs but everyone bags on about how much it costs for gas rassessments every 5 yrs they need to work it out, the cost i quote is for assessment only as those who bang on about how sh1t they are wouldnt need any training so assessment only and 3 days labour

kirkgas said:

I know there are other costs but everyone bags on about how much it costs for gas rassessments every 5 yrs they need to work it out, the cost i quote is for assessment only as those who bang on about how s**t they are wouldnt need any training so assessment only and 3 days labour

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I agree, but the only ones I've seen 'fail' are those that think they know it all and don't take training.

I always do the training as well. Nearly finished mine at present. Training and assessments have taken 9 days in total, so cost me around £5k in total.

As kirkgas says, a tenner a week would cover it for sensible people, but as I'm not one of those, £5k is a lot to take in one hit

I always seem to have something else to spend that tenner on each week.

£5k and 9 days, what are you doing for that. The figures/times i quoted are for CCN1 + 4,If you do training and assessment in our place it is £900 incl VAT for core +4 for 5 days during the week (in one full week) or 3 weekends.

Some require the extra day perhaps due to it being spread out, some finish in 5. a lot of guys need to come back as they havent finished all the work, so how come so many dont finish or moan about the cost but still take the training anyway.

Surely if you are on the ball you just need to chase up the changes from places like this and go straight in an sit the assessments