ACS Gas safe course, need information please!

[Dotty]

:chillpill: :chillpill:

Here you go. one each.

 

[deandive]

I didnt count my portfolio in days, just submitted a load of jobs with photos and cp12s, realistically though it was probably way more than 70 days, I didnt pay to do the portfolio though, call me old fashioned but there is no way id pay to go to work,

 

[kirkgas]

A CAT 2 ( time served plumber or associated trade) can do a " Foundation course" of 6 weeks full time theory and " a reasonable amount of time building a suitable portfolio" there are guidelines but it depends on what work actually gets done, a good example is one candidate working with a service engineer they could get through 40 jobs in a week, the next guy work with an installer on 4 large installs over 2 weeks,
Who has the better portfolio ?
Most CAT 2's do 6-8 weeks full time placement building the portfolio, (spread over as long as it takes, ) they don't need to do 70 days, no where near it.
One way to do it is to cut the portfolio building to just cover ccn1, once passed they are competent and can return to the assessment centre as a CAT 1 and do some revision training and sit the specialist subjects.
I've trained many CAT 2 and CAT 3 ( who do 6 months full time 50/50 split between theory and practical ) and some are good, some reasonable and some bad, same as the CAT 1's who are qualified and working in the trade, I think a lot of it is to do with the individuals experience but also to do with their attitude to learning and how safe they want to be.
How hard is it to learn gas? The answer will upset some of you, not very hard at all and that's the truth, some of these guys enter the gas industry from far more difficult jobs and learn it easy, fault finding and repairs is a different thing all together, but there are 100's of house bashes trying to fix boilers at the moment and making a complete hash of it as well, but basic gas servicing can be taught to nearly anyone, as I said its all down to how well they want to leave a job when they are out on their own,
I'm a plumber to trade and had worked on plenty heating jobs on the wet side, I was offered a 5 day ACOPS course by my company, went to college and passed,my ACOPS with no previous has experience, and I ain't the cleverest but I worked damn hard to learn things after I got my chert and NEVER took a chance with anything getting left unsafe, because I care and have the right attitude, like many others, so as I'm not time served in gas should I be excluded?

 

[TerryWaite]

It's a bit mad the petulant arguments on here sometimes. I think some people on here can be a bit dismissive and harsh, this is only my opinion, I don't think Chris was dismissive of fast trackers at all. As stated no one is doubting Deans experience and calibre, and we all know not everyone time served is a good tradesman and not every fast tracker is a numpty. However, if you are for one minute suggesting that a fast track course done in a much shorter period of time with less hands on experience, less one to one time with a mentor will generally produce a better tradesman than an apprenticeship, you are plain wrong.

I have done both, an apprenticeship and a fast track course, and there is only 1 winner.

 

[Ermintrude]

We have 3 apprentices. 2 are doing c&g at different places. Frankly they have the information some where. one lad who just started as last place went **** up and is in final year and was expecting us to sign witness statements and have his collage come and witness him witnessing us work...., couldn't manage a TT!!! He's supposed to be registered in 10 weeks! Other hand level 3 bod been working with fitters for 2.5 years done TT from day two and knows regs inside out, can fault find and install, hasn't been near c&g! He's pretty good at collecting elson tanks too!

Some collage stuff is pretty pointless , how many domestic jobs do you clamp pipe benders in a bench vice? Swaged many tubes? Only use on ac pipe work!

I wouldn't recommend full time apprenticeship, day release and no making tea or sweeping up! I'll stand about apprentices can do work..... Mistakes are a gift.... You learn lots from them. One of our fitters makes young lads just stand about.. Get in, get your hands black and make some hilarious mistakes. Like cutting carpet up to patch in holes from warm air , then go looking for hall way carpet...... Come back with tail between legs!

 

[Paul smiler]

we had day release and manual courses with the bays made up as if in a house and the teacher used to act as if he was the worst type of customer and we had to be polite whilst always doing our checks, they showed us how to take a boiler apart and put it back together again and then explained every part inside and out, we did gas escapes to domestic and commercial boilers , cookers and fires that way and also we could ask which fitters to go with because they nearly all wanted us especially the ones on SDS. Time served is a great experience and you learn a lot .