qualifications regarding working as a self empolyed plumber

[sijaysee]

I am currently doing my level 2 tech cert 6129 in plumbing at a local college and want to progress onto the NVQ to be fully qualified. Trying to get work with local plumber for the assessment on site side of things but am finding it hard as so many do. Im 42 and have been in the building industry since i was 16 but i want a new challenge.
Is it possible to just work self employed after the level 3 tech cert and then get assessed on my own work to gain the NVQ or is that not allowed?

Cheers Si

 

[Agile]

The tech cert is just an assessment in college.

The full NVQ is hardly ever done any more yet its the most useful of all.

The problem is that if you let yourself loose on the unsuspecting public and make a mess of something then you leave yourself open to legal claims and give our profession a bad name.

A friend had a new kitchen and a pipe came apart and flooded the kitchen and he and wife had to move into a hotel for six weeks at the cost of the builder. He is a lawyer and well able to take any builder/plumber to the cleaners if something goes wrong.

Tony

 

[Whitespirit66]

I believe that colleges prefer you to be working for someone for your on-site assessments.

However, if you are carrying out some work that you want to be assessed on, how is the assessor going to know whether you are employed or self employed? Don't think they have the time or inclination to check up on your employment status. They are more interested in the quality of your work.

The biggest hurdle may be getting the work itself. You are moving into an increasingly crowded sector of the construction industry. But then I suppose you might have an idea of what it's like, if you have been involved in construction for some time.

 

[seco services]

yes you can be self employed long as you have been for 5+ yrs and then you can do your nvq 2.
you'll skip half the crap thats done in college because your doing it everyday while working and you pay and they'll come and assess you on i think 3 site visits (must be jobs not your home)
the only one you'll need to do at college is your lead work.

 

[Whitespirit66]

the only one you'll need to do at college is your lead work.

Are they still teaching this as plumbing? Seems a bit out of date to me. All you need is to be able to do a slate.

How many plumbers do you see doing a step flashing on a chimney? Or wielding a setting-in stick? I just know someone's going to prove me wrong now.

 

[seco services]

may not be used but still part of the nvq.

 

[Whitespirit66]

Maybe not such a bad idea. As plumbing and heating gets more and more crowded, you could always fall back on your roofing skills!

 

[seco services]

i better get some practice in then

 

[sijaysee]

I have to cover lead work on the level 2 that im doing this year and electrics. I believe that both are gonna be left out for new students. I want to do the level 3 after this one which will cover more in depth systems including unvented which we are not allowed to cover on the level 2. So i can do the college side of the NVQ and work on my portfolio as self employed? I have been self employed for 23 years btw

 

[seco services]

I have been self employed for 23 years btw

why did you bother doing the 6129 then ?
as your doing pipework everyday and you can skip it.

 

[Whitespirit66]

I think many colleges do the 6129 and NVQ2 together.

Think he was self employed builder.

 

[seco services]

yes if you study at college but what he's doing with 23 yrs in the game 6129 isn't needed. as your doing pipework etc everyday your covering all 6129.

 

[sijaysee]

yes but have not done any work on new heating systems and limited knowledge of direct and indirect hot water, s plan y plan, m plan etc and rules and regs, the technical side which i would never have known if i never went to college. theres much more to the 6129 than pipework. Have to do LCS also which i have never done and a lot of maintainence on older systems which are not often used any more like identifying cylinders, primatic etc. Just started on heating and pumps, port valves and controllers etc. I have learnt so much this year and feel so much more confident now and im only on the first year of the level 2 and i've got the level 3 to come.

 

[bengasman]

yes you can be self employed long as you have been for 5+ yrs and then you can do your nvq 2.

Never knew there were legal requirements to work as a plumber other than paying tax.

 

[seco services]

yes you can be self employed long as you have been for 5+ yrs and then you can do your nvq 2.

Never knew there were legal requirements to work as a plumber other than paying tax.

there isn't.