Training & Portfolio Building

[Stephen19]

Hello all, I have decided to re-train as a gas safe engineer and wonder if there is a reputable training centre in the NW London/South Herts area that you have used and can recommend for a new trainee?
I am based in Watford and can travel a reasonable distance.

There are quite a few advertised on the internet but I would appreciate personal recommendations and wish to start out on right route with excellent and full training.

Next question would be how to go about gaining a 'mentor' or company in same location that would provide me guidance when building my portolio.

Thanks in advance for your help.
Stephen

 

[Agile]

Hello all,

Next question would be how to go about gaining a 'mentor' or company in same location that would provide me guidance when building my portolio.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Stephen

Why do you think that a company in your area would benefit from training you up and then having you competing for the few jobs in the area and most likely undercutting them?

 

[Stephen19]

Hello all,

Next question would be how to go about gaining a 'mentor' or company in same location that would provide me guidance when building my portolio.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Stephen

Why do you think that a company in your area would benefit from training you up and then having you competing for the few jobs in the area and most likely undercutting them?

Thanks for the reply Agile but please answer that yourself and educate me?
Why? because as I am understand it a key element of gaining a proper education and certificates in the industry is to complete training under a mentor, min 8 weeks on the job training. I think that ALL trainees must do this.
If I am wrong then, as I stated, let me know.

And as I posted the question I was already planning ahead and foreseeing this as a possible problem area, bottleneck to completing training to get qualified.
You kind of confirm this to a degree so any ideas you may have on how to do this and complete first stage would be appreciated, rather than objections.

It must be possible as people are qualifying regularly.
thanks
Stephen

p.s just to add that I think the student (me) would pay a fee for the benefit/experience - since it would slow the mentor down a little during this period. So that would probably benefit the company who would also have an on the job interview - to consider a FT position afterwards if one was available...either immediately or for later on. My thoughts on it.

 

[Agile]

Thats right and thats what YOU will need.

But what I was pointing out, is that unless you were paying them, all they are doing is to spend their time to create local competition.

Others may all jump at the opportunity to train you and see you working for all their local customers.

Why do you think they would want to do that? How much would you expect to pay them for training you?

How much would you expect to earn if they were to take you on?

But what about their loss of business if you just take away their customers? How will they be recompensed for that?

 

[HERTS P&D]

Stephen why do you want to work as a gas engineer? Don't belive what you read in the papers. What I have read about Tony is that he is very good at what he does and is very knowledgeable and for Tony to answer your questions, at 3pm on a Monday afternoon means hes at home and not working!!!


Andy

 

[kirkgas]

contact bpec and find a local trainer in your area for the "Gas Foundation Course" if accepted you will be sorted out with a reputable placement

 

[onlyfitidealboilers]

do an apprenticeship, not a short course, as you will only ever be known as a back door merchant.

i know more then 15 lads who have done these courses an all of them i wouldn't let them change a tap washer, there useless.

why gas industry????? its dead. don't listen to these 5k training centers they tell you what you want to hear. "40k a year no problem" stop it.

better off doing a bit of overtime in asda, with no stress or responsibility.

id have a re think if i was you serious

 

[Stephen19]

Stephen why do you want to work as a gas engineer? Don't belive what you read in the papers. What I have read about Tony is that he is very good at what he does and is very knowledgeable and for Tony to answer your questions, at 3pm on a Monday afternoon means hes at home and not working!!!


Andy

Thank you for the consideration but I would not wish to go into detail on this forum, save that for interviews! As for papers, I only read the sports pages at the back...
S

 

[Stephen19]

contact bpec and find a local trainer in your area for the "Gas Foundation Course" if accepted you will be sorted out with a reputable placement

Thank you, I shall look int this. Sounds like the sort of expert knowledgeable advice I was hoping to find in the forum. Thanks.
S

 

[Stephen19]

Thats right and thats what YOU will need.

R. Yes, correct, I am asking questions to find out what to do, researching the possibilities. Better to do this than go into something new 'blind' wouldnt you say! DOH.

But what I was pointing out, is that unless you were paying them, all they are doing is to spend their time to create local competition.

R. Possibly, possibly not. I was wondering if there were firms that offer such a service. You can tell me that NO-ONE EVER offers it for reasons you perceive. I am not sure you are right. Hence my query. Simple. Does not seem that people here wish to answer or know of firms that do offer training on the job under any terms. My search goes on as it must happen...its legislatiion to get qualified!


Others may all jump at the opportunity to train you and see you working for all their local customers.

R. Vey llimited and short sighted view.


Why do you think they would want to do that? How much would you expect to pay them for training you?

R. No idea hence my questions and attempts to learn. What have others paid when training?

How much would you expect to earn if they were to take you on?

R. See above.

But what about their loss of business if you just take away their customers? How will they be recompensed for that?

R. I have no intention of being self employed actually...not now and not in this country in future anyway. You know little of my plans and make far too many assumptions for some reason, instead of trying to help.
To answer your questions - I would not take any customers away after qualifying so the loss would be ZERO. NO compensation required above what would already have bbeen paid to them on the job over 8+ weeks.

 

[Agile]

But what about their loss of business if you just take away their customers? How will they be recompensed for that?

R. I have no intention of being self employed actually...not now and not in this country in future anyway. You know little of my plans and make far too many assumptions for some reason, instead of trying to help.

To answer your questions - I would not take any customers away after qualifying so the loss would be ZERO. NO compensation required above what would already have been paid to them on the job over 8+ weeks.

I do have to say that you seem quite argumentative and agressive! You accuse us of making assumption but dont tell us anything about yourself.

All my trainees would have said they would not take away our customers. The reality is that most have done so. One has fitted THREE boilers for our customers and thats the ones I know about. Another had cards printed in OUR business name but his name and telephone numbers!

Tony

 

[Stephen19]

But what about their loss of business if you just take away their customers? How will they be recompensed for that?

R. I have no intention of being self employed actually...not now and not in this country in future anyway. You know little of my plans and make far too many assumptions for some reason, instead of trying to help.

To answer your questions - I would not take any customers away after qualifying so the loss would be ZERO. NO compensation required above what would already have been paid to them on the job over 8+ weeks.

!
I do have to say that you seem quite argumentative and agressive! You accuse us of making assumption but dont tell us anything about yourself.

All my trainees would have said they would not take away our customers. The reality is that most have done so. One has fitted THREE boilers for our customers and thats the ones I know about. Another had cards printed in OUR business name but his name and telephone numbers!

Tony

Sorry Agile but re read my posts. I have not been aggressive or argumentative IMHO. I like to deal in facts and directly to the point. But if that's your interpretation so be it, you have perceived it that way. I have simply replied to your approach.
Although I would probably say the same of your replies that helped not a bit. And as for more information about me, well that is private and not for discussion and has no relevance to my question anyhow.
You do seem to have some bad luck though with your trainees so I get your reticence.

 

[Agile]

I have not had much bad luck with trainees!

Out of say 10 only TWO have not done at least some work for our customers directly and without discussing it first. I would say that ten will be a fairly representative sample.

My view is that you are agressive and argumentative. Nor do you want to give simple details about yourself.

You have not suggested why any firm should give you free training. You said that you would not take customers but so would all eight of our trainees who have done. What people say and what they do is often not the same thing.

I suppose you would expect to come to me for training without giving your name and address?

Tony

 

[Stephen19]

I have not had much bad luck with trainees!

Out of say 10 only TWO have not done at least some work for our customers directly and without discussing it first. I would say that ten will be a fairly representative sample.

My view is that you are agressive and argumentative. Nor do you want to give simple details about yourself.

You have not suggested why any firm should give you free training. You said that you would not take customers but so would all eight of our trainees who have done. What people say and what they do is often not the same thing.

I suppose you would expect to come to me for training without giving your name and address?

Tony

Listen Tony, you are now going off at some tangent here, so much som I think that it's clear you have no wish to offer assistance. Your questions are becoming bizarre. Your assumptions wild. Just to pick one hole in what you say, I have never suggested 'free' training and even suggested that I thought I would have to pay for privilege. More than this I do not know, hence my post! And IT IS A LEGAL requirement to go through this training so I have no idea why you have such an issue with it since you now say you have not had bad luck in this area and have offered such training before yourself. Finally, there is no other information about me that you would need in order to answer my original question.

 

[bengasman]

...as I am understand it a key element of gaining a proper education and certificates in the industry is to complete training under a mentor, min 8 weeks on the job training.

You can no more learn this trade in 8 weeks, than any other trade.

Your chances of earning a (half) decent living in the heating industry as a new entrant are virtually nil.

Personally, I am qualified and experienced in all aspects of domestic central heating, including repairs ( the aspect of ch where there is the least competition) and full-scope electrics ( allowing me to do all alterations/additions necessary).

Notwithstanding this, the money is so bad currently that I am actively looking at a career change ( and many in similar conditions with me ). That should give you an idea about your prospects with no experience and no client base.