Apprentice looking for answers

[JamieBuckley]

Helllo

I'm a 22 year old who came here from Sweden a couple of months ago and I'm looking for a job within plumbing.

I've studied plumbing & heating in school for 3 years (upper secondary education) and after that I've been working as a plumber (apprentice) for another 2 years.

I would have had my certificate by now if it wasn't for my sloppy boss who (when I joined his firm) signed the wrong documents and forgot to hand in
some other important papers to the building union in Stockholm, where they keep a track record of all apprentices and because of this
the building union simply told me I had to redo a whole year of my apprenticeship.

Shortly after I realized this, I fell out with my boss and quit my job. I went to England to spend some time with my family (my dad's British) but I've now decided to stay.

So, my question for you guys is:

Where can I go from here? I've been looking for some plumbing jobs in London but most of em of course, require a full certificate.
Now in Sweden as an apprentice you would earn about £8 - £12/ hour if you've finished your 3 years of studying which I have.
When I look at plumbing apprentice jobs in England (to be able to finish my education & get my certificate) I've realized that some pay you around £80 A WEEK....
Which of course is not enough when I'm living on my own.

I worked for 2 years on larger construction sites including some penthouse projects in Stockholm, so I feel quite safe when I'm working on new build projects or whatever the English word for it is (building new houses) I know pretty much everything there is to know.

I don't however feel I'm experienced enough to do service/maintenance work ex. looking for errors on boilers that wont work, finding out why the heat wont come on in someones house.

I would love working on the high rise projects down in London, all the new skyscrapers being built but I recon it would be hard getting a job there without any certificate.

Just wondered if anyone in here would know where to turn? Maybe like a plumbers union or something that I could speak to.

How to find work without a certificate, maybe just walk around construction sites handing out my CV?

Thankful for any tip

Take care !

 

[Simon F]

Hello Jamie, welcome to the forum.
you won't be able to do any unsupervised gas work without becoming gas safe registered!

 

[JamieBuckley]

So working with gas is a part of plumbing in Britain ? In Sweden that would be a profession of its own.
I guess this is because many of your boilers in this country run on gas, in Sweden we haven't got any gas boilers.
But thank you for that, appreciate it!

 

[PlumbBobBob]

you don't have to do gas to be a plumber

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Jamie, you have come from a country with low levels of youth unemployment compared to Britain - see charts below. This before we start on the fact that there is a massive over-supply of labour in plumbing - Good luck in finding work, but you have poor prospects here, compared to Sweden!

[h=2]Sweden
142,918 15 to 29 year-olds are not in education, employment, or training - 7.8%[/h]That figure has changed by -2.5% since 2008

In 2008, it was 8% of 15-29s - in 2011 it was 7.8%

The total cost to Sweden of Neets in 2011 is:
[SIZE=+2]€1,260,246,895
0.33% of GDP[/SIZE]
The average cost as % of GDP in the EU is 0.96%. It's equivalent to €9,565 per person. The total NEET cost has changed by 4.98% since 2008

In Britain it is far worse:

[h=2]United Kingdom
1,872,403 15 to 29 year-olds are not in education, employment, or training - 15.5%[/h]That figure has changed by 18.3% since 2008

In 2008, it was 13.1% of 15-29s - in 2011 it was 15.5%

The total cost to United Kingdom of Neets in 2011 is:
[SIZE=+2]€18,347,112,792
1.05% of GDP[/SIZE]
The average cost as % of GDP in the EU is 0.96%. It's equivalent to €14,526 per person. The total NEET cost has changed by 36.49% since 2008

Mapped: Europe's lost generation | News | guardian.co.uk

 

[SimonG]

Jamie, you have come from a country with low levels of youth unemployment compared to Britain - see charts below. This before we start on the fact that there is a massive over-supply of labour in plumbing - Good luck in finding work, but you have poor prospects here, compared to Sweden!

Sweden
142,918 15 to 29 year-olds are not in education, employment, or training - 7.8%

That figure has changed by -2.5% since 2008

In 2008, it was 8% of 15-29s - in 2011 it was 7.8%

The total cost to Sweden of Neets in 2011 is:
[SIZE=+2]€1,260,246,895
0.33% of GDP[/SIZE]
The average cost as % of GDP in the EU is 0.96%. It's equivalent to €9,565 per person. The total NEET cost has changed by 4.98% since 2008

In Britain it is far worse:

United Kingdom
1,872,403 15 to 29 year-olds are not in education, employment, or training - 15.5%

That figure has changed by 18.3% since 2008

In 2008, it was 13.1% of 15-29s - in 2011 it was 15.5%

The total cost to United Kingdom of Neets in 2011 is:
[SIZE=+2]€18,347,112,792
1.05% of GDP[/SIZE]
The average cost as % of GDP in the EU is 0.96%. It's equivalent to €14,526 per person. The total NEET cost has changed by 36.49% since 2008

Mapped: Europe's lost generation | News | guardian.co.uk

I started a reply along the same lines, then my internet went down and I lost the will.

Welcome to the forum

 

[SimonG]

you don't have to do gas to be a plumber

Well said Steve.

 

[chris watkins]

Welcome along Jamie, lack of gas boilers, youth un-employment, building / Plumbing unions, £8 - £12/ hour per hour for a 3rd year apprentice, these are not the only differences between Plumbing in good old Blighty & Sweden. The main one being that you don't need any certificates to practise Plumbing or Heating (NOT gas) in this country, so why not start up on your own & see how you get on, everybody else seems to !!

Do you think that may have something to do with why Plumbing is so poorly paid over here & proper jobs for trainees & skilled workers are so few & far between ??

 

[SimonG]

Welcome along Jamie, lack of gas boilers, youth un-employment, building / Plumbing unions, £8 - £12/ hour per hour for a 3rd year apprentice, these are not the only differences between Plumbing in good old Blighty & Sweden. The main one being that you don't need any certificates to practise Plumbing or Heating (NOT gas) in this country, so why not start up on your own & see how you get on, everybody else seems to !!

Do you think that may have something to do with why Plumbing is so poorly paid over here & proper jobs for trainees & skilled workers are so few & far between ??

That's why most builders / handymen have had pipe racks installed on top of their vans.

 

[acecharly]

As already said. Get some cards pushed out maybe an add in a local paper and have a go. If you try hard you will get on. It will be slow to start but with the right attitude and focus you will make it.

 

[peteheat]

Perhaps you could look for a major swedish or European contractor who has contracts in the UK?

They may be able to see both sides the first that you are qualified except for a piece of paper and they would understand the level you are officially qualified to, so with a little extra money you get to officially finish your apprenticeship and have an income.

My advice is if possible take the £80.00 per week for one year that way you have the papers to travel to any country you wish in the future, without that piece of paper you will always be classed as a laborer / plumbers helper.

 

[thomas donovan]

some of the "plumbers" i encountered on large commercial type sites would have trouble wiping their own arses to be horribly blunt thank god i dont have to endure another day of meccano plumbing. if you want to learn anything meaningful/useful then get with a decent high end domestic firm. if i were you i would go into telecomms or IT and bid plumbing farewell
yours sincerely
i H8 plumbing

 

[bert large]

Best just to give it a go on your own Jamie. Its your best chance of earning a decent wage.