Advice starting new career

[SimonG]

Don't touch the cucumber! 🙂

Good luck for monday.

 

[tiling spread]

Been scaffolding for last 2 years, working on power stations, which would come in handy for solar pv installation

you need too get on a rig mate thats were the money is

 

[wiggy21]

Dont wanna work on rigs, dnt wanna be away from home.

 

[Jimbob82]

I've nearly completed the City + Guilds 6129 1 year plumbing course and looking to find a job soonish. I've been working as a foreman (and carpenter) for a small scale construction company. Can anyone advise me on my next move please? Have a 4 month old baby and partner full time mum- hard times
Cheers

 

[Jimbob82]

should add I have 7 years experience in my current trade..

 

[wiggy21]

Isn't the 6129 just the tech cert? U need the NVQ level 2 c&g 6089 to become a plumber.

 

[Jimbob82]

yeah plan was to try and get a position with an experienced plumber and do NVQ onsite

 

[Paulus]

Hi to Wiggy 21,
I did a fast track course 4 years ago and wished I'd saved the money. The books are great but you can buy great bookson the net. The practicals were taught by Plumbers who spent half their time on the phone running their own business and the rest of the time weighing in the copper scrap that we generated.

By far the best thing I did was to write out to loads of plumbers in the area offering to help them for free, labouring, carrying tools, anything to get to watch them and learn. The main thing a working plumber doesn't want is someone who gets in the way. If you do go down this route you will need to take out your own public liability insurance and make sure you mention it your letters.

Hi to Jimbob

Just a bit of advice, please don't take offence but you seem to have hi-jacked Wiggy's thread. Your question will only be seen by people looking at Wiggys thread thus reducing the likelyhood of replies. When we try to answer questions we don't know who we're talking to. It would be better for you both if you started your own thread.

 

[Jimbob82]

Cheers for info Paulus, it was me who was asking 🙂
How much did you earn in your first year?

and can you tell me where's best for insurance?

 

[Jimbob82]

sorry mate! Only just joined and still getting to grips. Will take your advice

 

[Paulus]

First year about £5K, second year doubled.

I wouldn't like to say who's best for insurance as quotes vary considerably depending on what other cover you want such as tools, accident etc.

 

[fuzzy]

No disrespect but croft has done ok
You do no need qualifications you need customers and tools and a van and some money in the bank before you even start looking at getting qualifications.
I do not know croft but I am pretty sure he would say the same

How do you suggest getting customers with the relevant skills? Surely we cannot advocate charging clients for skilled work by unskilled labour?

Is it wise t spend £1,000s on van tolls advertising etc without any skills or work?

 

[wiggy21]

Jimbob where are you with ur career now, av you managed to get into the plumbing industry doing the fast track. I dnt see any otherway into plumbing but dnt want to waste alot of money and still av no idea, I'd really like to go into fitting pv solar panels.

 

[fuzzy]

Jimbob where are you with ur career now, av you managed to get into the plumbing industry doing the fast track. I dnt see any otherway into plumbing but dnt want to waste alot of money and still av no idea, I'd really like to go into fitting pv solar panels.

youll need the C&G 2399 qual. to do that you need to be a plumber

why dont you try your local college?

have you read the posts on becoming a plumber on here?

 

[wiggy21]

Local college is full, And fitting Pv solar panels you just need to be mcs accredited for customers to receive the feed in tariff.

 

[wiggy21]

This is course iv been looking at, includes 10 week doing course the 8 week on placement to gain NVQ.

Level 2 qualifications attainable are:

• City & Guilds (6089) NVQ Level 2: Plumbing
• City & Guilds (6129) Plumbing Technical Certificate
• Key plumbing Principles
• Cold water Systems
• Central heating systems
• Above ground discharge systems
• Effective working relations
• System maintenance and de-commissioning
• Health & Safety
• Bathroom planning & system design
• Hot water systems
• Sheet lead work
• Environmental awareness
• Common plumbing processes
• IOSH Working safely

Level 3 qualifications attainable:

• BPEC (Level 3) Solar domestic Hot Water Heating Systems*
****o Introduction*
****o Solar collectors*
****o Hot water storage and key installation issues*
****o Preparing to install a solar heating system*
****o Plumbing layout and a design of solar*
****o Fitting solar collectors water heating systems*
****o Control & power requirements*
****o System commissioning and handover to client
• BPEC (Level 3) Energy efficiency – Part L of the building regulations (2005)
• BPEC (Level 3) Unvented hot water
• BPEC (Level 3) Water regulations

 

[northstar]

where is this course at ? any links thanks

 

[justlead1]

Why not look at areas within the trade that require less training and understanding. An E.G. being. Zinc roofing, which seems to have rocketed over the last few years leaving a vacuum of skilled people . Plenty of training available and at good rates. Within a year your up and running and earning a nice few quid.

 

[northstar]

is zinc exspensive ?

 

[wiggy21]

where is this course at ? any links thanks

Here mate

Courses | Electrical, Gas, Plumbing and Renewable Energy Training