Advice for my son please?

[Sam D]

Hello Everyone,
I am new to the forum, but hopefully wont be a pain! I have searched the forum, and know that there are a lot of helpful and smart folk on here! I havent found the answer to my question, but i apologise if it has been asked before!
My son, is currently a teacher, but is desperate to get out of this profession. He has expressed an interest in becoming a gas engineer, and has found a course which would fit around his current job. He would need to continue his full time job whilst studying to become a gas engineer.
He would like to work for a larger company such as British Gas, but the course he is considering will give him an ACS qualification. My understanding is that this is a core qualification, and he would then need to qualify in different aspects of gas installation/fitting etc to be able to work for a company....is this correct?
This is the requirements stated by British Gas on their website, to be a Gas Engineer with them.:
We are looking for you to hold CCN1, CEN1 or CENWAT, CPA1, CKR1 and HTR1. Ideally you will also possess OFTEC and HETAS qualification however this is not essential.

Q) Does this mean then that you need a: a CCN1 or... a CEN1 or.... a CENWAT, CPA1, CKR1 and HTR1 as well as the ACS qualification?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me/ us!

 

[Last Plumber]

Can he not do these qualifications with the Gas board?
One major issue is the viscous circle!
He will need experience to get work and need work to gain experience.

I don’t know much about the current situation where access to our profession is concerned but there are a few folk on here who work in that field. (I’m fairly sure about that), they will be able to tell you more, or people who have just been through it themselves.

 

[snowhead]

He'll be better off trying to get on B.G's Apprenticeship / Traineeship

 

[Sam D]

Thank you for your replies. Unfortunately he can't do a BG apprenticeship as it would mean too much of a drop in salary. The course puts him with an engineer for a number of weeks to build up experience and his portfolio- he is also planning to contact some gas engineers locally and see if he can labour for them free of charge to gain insight and advice.

 

[SimonG]

Why does he want to get out of teaching?

Why does he think gas engineer is the way forward?

 

[Sam D]

He is becoming frustrated with the amount of work and the sheer political nature of it in all honesty.

He wants to do something more hands on, with a possible view to becoming self employed in a number of years? Obviously he doesn't want to go straight in to Self employment, and feels a company environment would be beneficial.

 

[Chalked]

As in all jobs. It's hard work. Long hours and political.
But this one gets your hands dirty, very cold in winter and hurts your body.
And for at least 5 years will be on at best 1/3 wages of a teacher.

 

[Sam D]

For 5 years he will be on 1/3rd of a teachers salary? How much will this be as he is in approx 30k at present? Thank you.

 

[Scott_D]

How old is he?

 

[Sam D]

26.

 

[Old Account]

Being an apprentice that way you won't earn much at all but you could have a chance to learn a lot if you are willing to listen, to look and to adopt.

 

[Scott_1979]

It's tough. So much competition driving prices down. He'd be lucky to get employed at all never mind getting 30k a year after a short course. not impossible but being realistic if he's not willing for a massive drop in wages for a number of years it ain't gonna happen. This trade takes years and years to gain confidence and competance.

 

[Sam D]

He is aware of that, and prepared to take a drop in salary but he has a mortgage and bills to pay so he has to consider this.

Thanks for your replies- I will pass this out not him.

He isn't afraid of hard work, and is prepared for it to take as long as it takes but he just wanted to know the difference between ACS and the other bits.

 

[jtsplumbing]

I think he is under the impression that we earn as much as teachers, someone has been telling him fairy tails, What is the lowest wage he could live on ? BG like most other Co only take on guys with experience , Please don't just jump into this game thinking its big money ! or there is plenty of jobs available, all that ended in the 80s and it still hasn't caught up, a lot will depend on location for jobs and earnings, Has he any experience at all in the plumbing industry ?because with-out any plumbing experience he will find it very hard to be a gas engineer, you need to know how systems and controls work , What does he think a Gas engineers job entails ? He could be in for a big shock.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

put i this way for a few years he will be sub 15k as he will be on mates rates as hes got no experience

 

[SimonG]

I love these posts.

I want to give up my crappy job and become a heating engineer.
But..........
I don't want paying peanuts.
It has to fit around my current job.
I'm available to help when a professional has finished their working week.
Etc, etc.

Well buckle up buttercup. If he is truly serious about it then he is going to have to make a lot of sacrifices. Time and financially.

Why heating?
I would question somebody's resolve who is wanting to dip out of teaching because it's a bit tough.

Not saying people can't change careers just trying to say how I see the nasty real world.

 

[Best]

Wish I had been a teacher. 🙂 Everyone of them I have known (and that is a lot!) have been quite wealthy and with plenty of free time and holiday time. Although most teachers will say they are overworked, stressed and underpaid. I think it can be one of those professions where they live in a bubble - usually a lifetime job, so easy for teachers to not understand the reality of other professions real life hard work.
I would stay with a job that you know and provides a high wage, but I can understand a person wanting to leave a profession that they have lost interest in.

 

[Sam D]

Right.

He is not a fool, nor is he naive. To address the whole 'teachers are wealthy and have plenty of free time'....quite frankly that's complete and utter balls. He works 6-7 days per week, leaves the house at 7, returns at 6pm then does at least 3 hours work. He goes in on school holidays too. He gets verbally and physically abused by the kids he teaches and the parents are often no better.

He doesn't live in cloud cuckoo land- he KNOWS he will be on a lower wage but he needs to have a rough idea of what this would be.

He KNOWS he will need to work hard, build up confidence and experience until he feels comfortable. He does not expect to walk into a GE job and earn tons of money. He doesn't expect it to be a cakewalk either.

All he wanted was an answer to a question.
Thanks for the productive replies.

 

[Vee]

Please do not forget that in order to gain ACS you should consider an NVQ first as it will lay the foundations for getting ACS and a better understanding of the "nature of the beast". A gas safe engineer without an NVQ or C&G is as good as a headless chicken on acid.

 

[SimonG]

If the truth is not pallatable he's gonna struggle.