27 y/o wanting to retrain...advice needed..

[bigalogigalo]

Hi There,

I'm a 27 y/o with a degree wanting to retrain into plumbing, preferably the gas central heating side of things.

I've been looking into ways of doing this.

With student debt etc from wastefully getting my degree (should have got a trade straight from school), I think I'd struggle afford to do a 2 year apprenticeship due to the low wages.

I am wondering of my other options.

I'd be looking to relocate from SW London to Newcastle Upon Tyne towards the end of the summer so need something in this area.

I've looked into short intensive courses but the ones I've found don't actually get me any qualifications. I spoke to some colleges in the area who said these are usually 'introduction to' courses and don't actually benefit me. Does anyone know different?

I'd like to be in a position where I do the training and can ideally go straight to work. Does anyone know if this is possible?

I've hear it may be possible to do an intensive 1 year course where you are actually qualified.

Has anyone been in a similar position to this?

 

[mikegas]

You can become qualified within a year on a gas course but you would be very lucky to be took on by anybody after it, it will cost you a few grand, you will also need to sort a placement out to complete your portfolio of evidence

 

[SimonG]

Not to put a downer on you, but have a look at the countless posts on here with people in the same position.

From the volumes of "work for free" posts I have seen on here not a lot of point spending money on training until you could find somebody to gain experience and sign of your evidence.

Perhaps you could answer a question? Why do you want to be a plumber/heating engineer?

 

[Barry98]

cos he wants the fast cars we all have ?

he believes everything he reads in the press ?

cos he will double his annual income ?


am i close ?

 

[SimonG]

It would be nice to see the 'real' reason why.

By the way still waiting for my 'fast car' and my '80k a year'.

 

[Barry98]

It would be nice to see the 'real' reason why.

By the way still waiting for my 'fast car' and my '80k a year'.

need to be going for a whole 12 months first fella

 

[SimonG]

Must be doing something wrong then. 7 years employed including app. and then miss a few and 6 years on my own! 🙂 God, is it that long already!

 

[Barry98]

must be in the post then SimonG 🙂

 

[fixter1]

ive been running for a year now and no where near 80k lol lucky if i hit 30k

 

[Barry98]

fixter ill say to you my good friend what they used to put on my report card at school " must try harder "

🙂 sorry fella couldn't resist

 

[fixter1]

lol yeah going to sort my self out this working year might get close to that 80k

 

[bigalogigalo]

To answer your question, I've always wanted to do plumbing, but was pressured by parents to get a levels, degree etc....anyway, wish I hadnt and am looking to rectify it before its too late.

thanks for your advice so far

I see your point about finding somewhere to do the work based stuff first, do you think its an impossible task to find companies to do this? Judging by your info you aren't too far from Newcastle - what's your thoughts on the industry?

I'm moving back up to Newcastle or Leeds from London to go straight into a course so it's not too easy to find someone from down here.....

What I'm hoping to find out is, before I go to the massive trouble of leaving my job, relocating, getting my missus to find a new job up there, move house etc, etc,......
am I wasting my time? Is it worth doing this course?

If not, bearing in mind my previous comments, do I have other options?

 

[Barry98]

if i were you rather then jumping in both feet i would be tempted to do a night school course and see how you feel after a few month before making such an leap.

if you move to leeds , theres leeds city college of building and another in wakefield called skills center theres also one in cleackheaton but i forget its name

 

[fixter1]

thats up to you mate but finding work after you have finished will be hard

 

[bigalogigalo]

Oh I defo wanna do it. always have.

Are the job prospects really that bad at the mo fixter?

Yeah I've had a long chat with the guys at leeds college of building, its them who do the Part Time course over two years, taking you 75% of the way there. It's whether it's a course which is worth anything which is what I'd love to know really. Do you know anyone who has got into it a similar way?

 

[fixter1]

yes mate its hard i was lucky and fell into 3 small letting agencies so i do all there gas and plumbing work witch keeps me ticking over when its slow have a look round where you plan on moving to and give some a ring see if theres anywork privite work is slow but im still getting my name about as ive only been trading for my self for a year

 

[SimonG]

To answer your question, I've always wanted to do plumbing, but was pressured by parents to get a levels, degree etc....anyway, wish I hadnt and am looking to rectify it before its too late.

thanks for your advice so far

I see your point about finding somewhere to do the work based stuff first, do you think its an impossible task to find companies to do this? Judging by your info you aren't too far from Newcastle - what's your thoughts on the industry?

I'm moving back up to Newcastle or Leeds from London to go straight into a course so it's not too easy to find someone from down here.....

What I'm hoping to find out is, before I go to the massive trouble of leaving my job, relocating, getting my missus to find a new job up there, move house etc, etc,......
am I wasting my time? Is it worth doing this course?

If not, bearing in mind my previous comments, do I have other options?

Aye sort of half way between Newcastle and Leeds, not too far from Scotch Corner.

Not trying to put you off, its just not the easiest of times, but its a big step the way the business is at the minute, as Bod said, try something in the evenings. Who says in 2 years time we won't be either out or well on the way out of the recession and things may be different.

Leeds College of Building is good, but then I'm biased, thats where I did my one day a week a lot of years ago.

If you are going to go for it make sure you have a good 'exit' plan if things go a miss. I didn't have one when we moved to Canada in 2003, moved lock stock and barrel, it was a bad move but turned out good as I wouldn't be working for myself.

 

[andy83]

I'm in the same position as the lad with the degree. I'd like to train as a plumber as I'm bored ****less as a teacher! I'm not taken in by all the media stories and the training courses lies and I'm not motivated by money! I've been trying to get into plumbing for about 2 and a half years but its just not been possible. I mean in so much as I don't want to waste a load of money on doing one of those extortionately priced training courses and I can't get anyone to take me on either. I'm going to college in September doing a two year part time plumbing course. Hopefully then I'll be able to get work for myself and get out of teaching!

 

[johnmcginty]

Guys read a thread called , " so you want to be a plumber " Like I have said before it's two options only the first is to go to college for 4 years and get an apprenticeship and the second is to go fasttrack with no one helping you after you finish and zero chance of a job , self employed with limited heating skills and no gas quals. If you do do fasttrack gas then you have to find a placement first ! doing the course is the easy bit anyone can do it I could afford to do 2 courses tomorrow with money left over for a new van , the hard part is the months if not years it will take for a superior to sign off your evidence in your portfolio which unfortunateley is incredibly unlikely as you will be self employed and the second you pass your quals you set up your gas business in direct competition with them . Unfortunateley they leave this bit out of the fasttrack promotional literature when they ask you for your £7,000. I would like to hear stories of successes from fasttrack to fully qualified competent gassafe engineer though !

 

[marklaruk]

Hi all, just decided to sign up after reading this thread! Bigalogigalo, good luck with your choice of course and path. I'm wanting to start at Leeds college of technology in September as i'm currently 25 and working in retail with no path in my life! I went to college and studied ICT when i left school which was a big mistake as i hated it, but saw it through and got the qualifications. Vowed never to work with them lol!

Always knew i should of gone into a trade as i'm a very hands on person and enjoy working in different places and not just in one place. I have just recently done a diy week at leeds college of technology to try afew different areas (plumbing/platering/joinery etc) I did 2 days plumbing and really enjoyed working with the pipework and got a huge sense of satisaftion when i was making circuits etc. Going back in july as they have another 2 week course on so going to try a coupl e of other trades and have another pop at the plumbing.

If you go to lcb might see you in september on a course! Looking at getting an apprenticeship, but we all know what that's like at the minute so if i have to do a course i will do. Need to sort my future out!!

 

[rambojohnj1]

Mt advice mate is to ring round everyone and ask them if you can start as an apprentice or explian to them that your looking to re train. At the end of the day your not an 18 kid that will go in your favour. Look for trainning centres and do a gas course. trust me you will pick the plumbing side of things up very quickly. I was a sales rep for ten years. I was lucky my friend who worked there with me retrainned five years ago. And guess what. he contracts for british gas as well as having his own company. being aa peoples person helps, it gets you the work that will earn you over 30k!!! im in my seconbd year now. gas safe registered and working with him. if your willing to put the effort in work in tesco on the night shift then through the day for your portfolio then the money will come eventually.