Plumbing & Heating Professionals....help please.

[wayneski]

Hello,

I would really appreciate the help of any qualified plumbing and heating professionals out there.

Like many people, I am looking to re-train. With a wife and family to support I can't just stop work and spend 2 years doing an NVQ - I have to be earning an income. The NVQ route doesn't seem an option as it is too long besides which I would need to be employed in the trade to be considered for the course ( which is a "catch 22" situation)

There's a lot of companies charging £5k and upwards for 2 month intensive courses which only seem to give very basic city & guilds qualifications and are not part of a "proper" qualification.

Can somebody, please help me by telling me how I can get the essential qualifications to start doing basic domestic work (with the obvious exception of the boiler). I don't mind paying to do a rapid course but I need to know that it's a good qualification at then end.

It seems that the NVQ route is closed to me and the private training companies are just there to make money!

 

[Softus]

What's your current trade/profession, and what plumbing aptitude do you think you have?

 

[corgiman]

I wouldnt bother if I were you

then only ones making serious cash in plumbing at the mo are the rogue trainers

Had a leaflet yesterday saying I can earn over 3k per week just Powerflushing and for a nominal fee they would give me a recognised national qualification in Powerflushing

Beggers belief dont it

 

[Softus]

Had a leaflet yesterday saying I can earn over 3k per week just Powerflushing and for a nominal fee they would give me a recognised national qualification in Powerflushing

Was that the Agile Certificate of Putting On A Show For The Customer, from the Agile Institute of Powerflushing?

 

[wayneski]

Softus.....I was in Sales and Marketing but don't mistake me for "a suit" . I have also owned a pub and am very practical and mechanically minded....it may sound daft to a pro, but I can change radiator valves, fit thermostatic ones, balance the system, flush it annually, change pumps, use speedfit etc. Before the law changed I even fitted a new thermocouple to the boiler

I'm not looking to "get rich quick" but I want to run my own business. It just seems impossible to get qualified if you're an older person looking to re-train.

Corgiman....I see where you're coming from and that's why I don't want to pay for crappy training....I want to do a good job and have the required knowledge NOT to be a cowboy.

 

[Softus]

Softus.....I was in Sales and Marketing but don't mistake me for "a suit" . I have also owned a pub and am very practical and mechanically minded....it may sound daft to a pro, but I can change radiator valves, fit thermostatic ones, balance the system, flush it annually, change pumps, use speedfit etc. Before the law changed I even fitted a new thermocouple to the boiler

Fair enough. So what are you looking to acquire?

Skills?
Knowledge?
Qualifications?
Customers?

I'm not looking to "get rich quick" but I want to run my own business. It just seems impossible to get qualified if you're an older person looking to re-train.

Certainly not easy, and I sympathise. If you want to Email me then I might have some information that isn't appropriate for the forum.

 

[wayneski]

Thanks for the reply Softus.....you've hit the nail on the head. I want to acquire the skills and the knowledge and in due course qualifications to get myself up and running. Having come from a Sales & Marketing background I'm confident that I can find the customers. I'm not the sort of person who wants to do a shoddy job and grab the cash.....a business will only survive on repeat custom and a good reputation and it is important to me that customers are happy.

I'll drop you an e-mail. Thanks.

 

[WelshMan]

Waymeski, i have nearly completed my Tech Cert Lvl2 in Plumbing which is a 2year course. From what i understand from September they are going to be offering this course on a full time basis (4 1/2 days week) for 1 year. It will be tough to complete in 1yr but its possible ( i only started myself last September).

With regard to training i can only agree with you. I am 36 , have 2 children, work part time and do this course. With summer here i am left wondering where to go now, Level 3 which i wanted to do is being reserved for Modern Apps and ill be very lucky to get on this Sept. Also been trying to find work with a plumber to gain much needed experiance but to no avail atm. Seems everything is biased towards the younger element, but i aint going to give up ill find somewhere.

 

[Gasguru]

I was in Sales and Marketing ...I want to do a good job and have the required knowledge NOT to be a cowboy.

Now theres a contradiction I can't think of a more dishonest/immoral/unethical profesion than sales.....it runs a close second to international arms smuggling.

Have you though about Baxi sales and marketing or maybe Ideal.

Personaly I'd forget this game, its swamped by newcomers and unless your a cowboy you'll earn more piling up the shelves in Sainsbury's.

 

[wayneski]

You hear about people re-training....how????? It is all geared to the school leavers .

My only other option seems to be this which is £5k!!! for a 2 month course.:

City and Guilds 6022 - 02 Copper Tube Advice & Installation Scheme
City and Guilds 6032 Sanitary Domestic Installation Maintenance & Design
BPEC - Water Regulations 1999
Part P Defined Scope Electrical

.....unless someone tells me that these are worth the £5k and will get me going.

The problem is, outside of the colleges doing NVQs the only other route is via a profit-making business that will tell you completely the opposite to the colleges in terms of what's needed and what your options are

 

[wayneski]

Gasguru..... There's Sales and there's Sales....I've worked in so-called professional services working for Accountants and Lawyers....I'm not sure that helps my cause!!!!!

 

[Gasguru]

Sales, lawyers, marketing, estate agents, loan sharks, quick course plumbing training providers, corgi......all the same parasites.

Good products sell themselves and don't need some smarmy sales rep to push them

 

[Chrismac]

Waymeski, i have nearly completed my Tech Cert Lvl2 in Plumbing which is a 2year course. From what i understand from September they are going to be offering this course on a full time basis (4 1/2 days week) for 1 year. It will be tough to complete in 1yr but its possible ( i only started myself last September).

With regard to training i can only agree with you. I am 36 , have 2 children, work part time and do this course. With summer here i am left wondering where to go now, Level 3 which i wanted to do is being reserved for Modern Apps and ill be very lucky to get on this Sept. Also been trying to find work with a plumber to gain much needed experiance but to no avail atm. Seems everything is biased towards the younger element, but i aint going to give up ill find somewhere.

I am in the same boat as you, I am 30 and I completed my C&G Tech Cert in June. I was told by my tutor that in order for me to carry on with my training, I had to get my NVQ 2 which he said could be done within 3 months seeing as we had more of less covered everything in the Tech Cert. C&G would require me to be out on site working a minimum of 3 days a week to gain my NVQ 2 (not easy when you have a full time job and mortgage). After that I would have to do the Tech Cert level 3 and then my NVQ 3. Everything seems to be stacked against adults becoming plumbers. I personally am not moving from a well paid job and trying to jump on the band wagon because of all the stories about plumbers earning loads of money (I know its not really like that). I am just trying to better myself and become a skilled worker but it is proving to be really difficult. What has your tutor told you about carrying on with your training? Are they all singing off the same song sheet or have you been given a different story?

 

[simond]

Becoming a plumber/heating engineer is quite fashionable and not surprisingly many of us in the trade have seen newcomers make a stab at it.

If you had 5 years experience in the trade on the tools (learning with more experienced tradesmen) then if you went it alone you would find it hard to start with, but within a few years you could build up a reputation and possibly a few regular contract type customers.

If on the other hand you have sales and marketing experience plus a bit of DIY you really have a mountain to climb if you are going to cut it with the rest of us. After your 5 week course I am sure you could think of a business name, cut some fancy graphics, create a web site. But altering peoples antequated central heating systems when they are standing behind you, looking for you to make mistakes is quite another matter.

Make no mistake, you are contemplating a career change into an oversubscribed industry, and your competition will be lean mean, and mainly more experienced than you. Caveat Emptor.

 

[John Wayne]

Dont bother..