25 Week Gas Fitter Training Programme

[macca8]

Hi All,

I've used the search link on this site to find out information regarding a 25 week Gas Fitter Training Programme run by NETA in Stockton on Tees, unfortunately no matches are found, so any advice will be welcome.

I've put this post in the training course forum, but thought it might be better in the Gas Safe forum

This post might sound long-winded but i am trying to give as much information as possible.

This intensive 25 week full-time course is aimed at people who want a career change.
The course is broken down as follows:

Weeks 1 to 5: Core Skills in training centre, vast amount of exercises including: Health & Safety, pipe materials & applications, pipe bending & jointing, practice pipe installation, flues & ventilation, boiler types & water heaters, practice system installation, meter types & practice installation, unsafe situations, central heating systems & layout, practice installation of cylinders & systems, types of valves, appliance & system commissioning.

Weeks 6 to 11: Guaranteed onsite training & work experience with an experienced
Gas Safe Engineer & evidence gathering.

Weeks 12 to 16: in training centre, appliance units (central heating & water heating)
including: full system installation, preliminary electrical checks, basic electrics, component testing & basic wiring, central heating / water heating maintenance & fault diagnosis.

Weeks 17 to 22: Guaranteed onsite training & work experience including: evidence gathering involving installation & maintenance, completing onsite assessments.

Weeks 23 to 25: practical exercises including: decommission systems, gas safety defect scenarios, industry documentation completion, complete any outstanding assessments along with portfolio.

Qualifications: On successful completion of the course the following qualifications are obtained:
NVQ Level 2 Installation & Maintenance of Domestic Central Heating & Water Heating Appliances, City & Guilds 6012-21 Pathway, ECITB Safety Passport Card, Basic Electrics Certification, Energy Efficiency Certification & Asbestos Awareness Certification.
The following ACS assessments are also successfully achieved:
CCN:1, WAT:1, CEN:1, CPA:1 Combustion Performance. If requested by the student
CKR:1, HTR:1, DAH:1 & MET:1 can be added.

Having successfully completed the course & gaining the qualifications you are automatically placed on the Gas Safe Register as a competent operative.
I am aware the first three months is a probation period & you need to inform Gas Safe of all completed jobs so they can inspect the quality & safety of your work before the probabation period is lifted.

Now the most commonly asked question in this training course forum:

Would i have a decent chance of employment after completing the above course & gaining the qualifications listed ?? i understand each individual is different, but a general view is what i am after.

My target employment opportunities would be: Domestic Gas Breakdown Engineer, Service Engineer, Landlord Safety Checks (CP12) or similar roles & then after a breather continue with further studies / boiler manufacturer training.

Has anyone completed this course or have any knowledge regarding the course ??

All help, advice & information greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Macca.

 

[Barry98]

im sure your going to plenty of replies and although a few bits stand out to me imo i very much doubt an employer will take you on as a "Domestic Gas Breakdown Engineer" with the experience you or lack of have gained in your mass 25 week course.

just out of curiosity how much is this course ?

thanks

 

[tamz]

You may be (very) lucky but most won't give you a second glance. I certainly wouldn't. The key point is experience. After your expensive training you will have a load of bits of paper and less experience than a first year laddie.
Your only option then like so many more before you, is self employed. That is the reality in the real world.

 

[gaspastemania]

Take my advice if your looking for a career change avoid plumbing or gas works like the plague pile of hassle !!! be a brickie all your tools in a bucket !!

 

[kirkgas]

once qualified through this type of course you really need to get a service job, its back to basics and allows you to get experience of how thigs work, by pulling them apart, cleaning, checking and putting back together, once you have a handle on this you start getting into repairs as a second man, ie someone fault finds, orders the part and you go and fit and get the boiler working again, if it doesnt work the experienced guy will assist you in further fault finding, this is where your attitude and aptitude comes in as you need to keep learning every day and work hard to get to the standards reached by others after many yrs experience and help by others, i have never run down my job at all and dont mean to here, but plumbing and gas at a basic level isnt rocket science and with a good attitude, good aptitude and A-Z logic you will learn whatever we have learned, i dont really go for the point of view that others cant join the trade, yes i work in training but thats because i choose to as i enjoy teaching others to do what i do, and i have first hand experience of meeting many many clever guys who have worked really hard on the gas foundation course and are reaping the benefits now so if you want to work hard, learn a lot and BUILD YOUR EARNINGS UP VERY SLOWLY, and have a rewarding job then go for it, if you only want to join the industry to earn £50k+ after week 5 then please stay away as there are enough of them in already
the scenario i described is ideal although hard to get but when i was scottish gas manager for a large construction company this is the system i put in place for the 7 guys i took on through this type of scheme, and i would put these guys up against a lot of tradesmen any day of the week, these guys are now 6yrs in the trade)

 

[Blake]

I wonder if they do fast track brain surgery courses, I rather fancy a change

 

[Bartdude]

I wonder if they do fast track brain surgery courses, I rather fancy a change

One of my customers is a brain surgeon and when I was working for him there was a book on the table in his house called "the human brain colouring book"

I had a look through,looks pretty easy really. I might have a go. You'll probably see me turn up on the brain surgery forum asking if anyone wants some unpaid help while I complete my portfolio.

Any takers??

 

[CMairiD]

once qualified through this type of course you really need to get a service job, its back to basics and allows you to get experience of how thigs work, by pulling them apart, cleaning, checking and putting back together

I've got to agree here. As someone who's in the final stages of portfolio work, I've got to say that servicing has been the most beneficial to me. New appliances each day: an old floor stander, to a BBU to HE combi, cookers, fires, etc -- you see a pretty wide range of appliances and start to understand their basics.

 

[richard978]

I think that just reflects the ignorance of our industry. You can't generalise like that as the reality is that there are thousands of gas guys out there who are clueless. I've met more than a handful and nearly all of em are time served with apprenticeships.

Gas isnt rocket science and much of it is about following a few basic principles. So it depends on the intelligence and work ethic of the person who is being trained.

I still come across boilers I've not worked on before, I just follow the manufacturers manual on servicing and rely on my gas training for the rest.

 

[Dotty]

 

[Rickster123]

Blimey some of the names on this thread were daily regulars. I spend way too much time on here.

 

[Dotty]

I've said that about you.

Mind you, look at me, I'm in Glasgow airport at the moment. ...

 

[Rickster123]

I've said that about you.

Mind you, look at me, I'm in Glasgow airport at the moment. ...

Thats a dangerous place to be. Don't make eye contact!

 

[richard978]

Ive gone back to meter installs, got so fed up with boiler installs. 26,000 plus 15.50 per meter......easy life.

 

[Dotty]

Thats a dangerous place to be. Don't make eye contact!

I've been up since 4. I've just eaten for the first time today and now I'm enjoying a cheeky wee beer.

That's putting me in the 'mean as snakes widdle' frame of mind....

 

[Bobthebuilder]

'Be a bricky all your tools in a bucket" A quote from a tradesman who has probable never worked as a bricky, true to say about the tools but that is at minims level running the line on new work on sites, the reality is back braking physically, rained off regularly in the U.K, working with brain dead types most of the time, the skill levels to the job properly are actually high however you soon get used to it and the trade becomes mindlessly boring along with back and joint aches, especially as you age. My money is on gas central heating engineer, don't worry about rushing into it just keep studying and absorbing the experience even as a junior, be professional,integrity, high standards and the world will get to know you.

 

[Rickster123]

'Be a bricky all your tools in a bucket" A quote from a tradesman who has probable never worked as a bricky, true to say about the tools but that is at minims level running the line on new work on sites, the reality is back braking physically, rained off regularly in the U.K, working with brain dead types most of the time, the skill levels to the job properly are actually high however you soon get used to it and the trade becomes mindlessly boring along with back and joint aches, especially as you age. My money is on gas central heating engineer, don't worry about rushing into it just keep studying and absorbing the experience even as a junior, be professional,integrity, high standards and the world will get to know you.

my dad was a bricky. It's an art form and extremely hard work. But the labourer has it even worse!

 

[ignite 247]

g4s is taking lots of lads on who do these fast track courses for fitting gas meters, was speaking to one the other day

 

[richard978]

One of my most hated companies, is there anything they can't keep their filthy mitts off.

 

[Pssst]

Ive gone back to meter installs, got so fed up with boiler installs. 26,000 plus 15.50 per meter......easy life.

Is that 9 to 5 and just domestic?

 

[Pssst]

RE post #1

What a curious thing.

When i did my basic gas service engineer training which i think was then called City And Guilds 662 i did three years. It was a mix of training centre, college and on the job training with an experienced chap. To give you an idea of the era ,we learned stuff like lead beating/working,mechanical controls such as weep line stats and relay valves,etc etc. The kind of new boilers on the market then were the likes of vulcan continentals and the early model potterton 10/16 netaheat was about as tricky as it got. We also did stuff like industrial and commercial burners,premix systems,package burners erc.

How can it be then that though the industry has become much more complex, it can all be learned and certified in less than a year?


Can we conclude that other courses such as dentistry, neurosurgery, nursing,ophthalmology,teaching,and various other "professional" courses have also got shorter?

The answer is probably no and why? Because the real agenda is to de skill and devalue some sectors of the workforce to reduce pay and conditions whilst preserving the status and incomes of the so called professional classes.