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Becoming a gas engineer- Is it worth it? hwo best to go about it?

View the thread, titled "Becoming a gas engineer- Is it worth it? hwo best to go about it?" which is posted in Gas Engineers Forum on UK Plumbers Forums.

S

supremo

I am thinking that this question has already been asked about a million times on here but I have been on this site for half an hour looking and cant see any.

There is an advert in the Daily Record (Scottish paper) for a 28 week full time gas engineer course starting on the 5th of March. I have recently been made unemployed and I am looking for a new career.

It says that on completion of the course you will be a fully qualified gas engineer.

However, I am aware that I would have very little chance of being employed upon completion as I would have little experience.

Every new training scheme has the same problem though- need experiece for employment. I have looked into HGV driving but it is the same, and I would probably rather be a gas engineer due to the working hours and being inside and in contact with people.

Would you advise doing such a course?
 
in another similer sounding word
no,its not the start up costs are obscene and no ones making any money
 
They are just after your money and try to reward you with a certificate rather than trying to learn you
 
...If you want to be a gas engineer - be a gas engineer! Problem? What's the problem?!
If you want to be a HGV driver - be a HGV driver! Someone's gonna do it.
I guess it all depends on how much you want it. Or you could be a taxi driver - inside and in contact with people... You can be anything you want. The choice is yours. You have to be positive, hard-working and ambitious, with a desire to succeed.
Hope you gonna find the answer. All the best.
 
As has been said, getting qualified is the easy part (tho not easy in itself) the hard part is gaining experience.

Look at job sites and gov.co.uk and see what employers want for what they are willing to pay.
The minimum wanted is be GS registered with own van, tools (inc Gas Analyser) and PL insurance,at least £2000 spent there without the van.
Add to that Unvented HW, LPG, Part P electrical which leads you onto a BS7671 course and obligatory 17th edition tester (a mere £600).

Before long you'll have spent £5k and still have no experience.

I'm not trying to be funny; but my local window cleaner seems to be working every day and his outlay: Cheap van, Ladder, Bucket and a couple of tools.

Which one of us is the fool? (answers on a postcard to....)
 
Its hard going at the minute, last year I was booking jobs in weeks in advance, sometimes 6 weeks or so. But the last few months are my leanest ever. Seriously thinking of packing it in and going to work with a pal. He owns his own business nothing to do with Gas, but has offered me a decent little job.
SO again in a word NO, its flooded with plumbers/gas men.
 
Halesowen1 said:
Its hard going at the minute, last year I was booking jobs in weeks in advance, sometimes 6 weeks or so. But the last few months are my leanest ever. Seriously thinking of packing it in and going to work with a pal. He owns his own business nothing to do with Gas, but has offered me a decent little job.
SO again in a word NO, its flooded with plumbers/gas men.
Click to expand...

Does your pal need two bods, I'm a quick learner and have my own bucket ;-)
 
The industry I have just left has no vacancies for full time positions and things are going to get worse. When I look at HGV driving folk say the same things- no experience then no job. I am assuming every area of employment is going to be the same- I have a few grand sitting but I dont want to waste it on living costs. I am thinking I need to retrain and accept I'll struggle for work.

Surely I'd be better off being an under employed gass engineer looking for experience than anything else?
Its got to pick up some time in the future surely? and then I'd be in a position to get experience and a decent job?
 
Does anyone have any advice on which companies are to be avoided or where companies will try and pull the wool over my eyes if I call them?
 
^^ glad to see you haven't been put off! Thanks to these qualified in a month courses there are 3 engineers for every household. People wonder why the money's not as good as it once was. It's supply and demand. Sod all demand and way to many engineers.
I wish you luck but in all honesty I think you're heading for disappointment and an expensive one at that.
 
a good plumber or gas engineer will always find bits of work that will bounce from one financial crisis to another all the training costs and then the dreaded ACS EVERY 5 YEARS WHILST NOT HARD IF YOU KNOW WHAT URE DOING TIME CONSUMING AND EXPENSIVE beaten on quotes because the other fella dose it cheap on the side this game has got so hard in the last couple of years that i like many are thinking of getting other jobs that don't have the huge come backs that this one does good luck mate if this is what you want to do just go into it with your eyes open
 
APP Plumbing: Name a job/industry that isn't the same? I am not definetly decided upon it but its as bad/good as it gets anywhere else.
 
you are right mate everyone is feeling it i guess it makes me sad though when i see the adverts train as a plumber and earn 40000 quid people get into it thinking its dead easy and its not
 
AlexGas said:
Have you been to the job centre?
Click to expand...

Aye, Don't fancy working for 6 quid an hour...
Spoke to this company and you do your CCN1, CEN1/WAT1 & CPA1
12 weeks in the class room, 14 weeks with a company. Would the 14 weeks placement count as experience? or is this part of your training?
 
Perhaps you should try phoning a dozen or so of these jobs and ask them if you've done the training will they be willing to employ you? Just for your own piece of mind?
 
scotty plumber said:
They are just after your money and try to reward you with a certificate rather than trying to learn you
Click to expand...


with all due respect i dont agree with your comment, all course providers are not just after money, although i do my best to teach people rather than learn them haha
 
supremo said:
Aye, Don't fancy working for 6 quid an hour...
Spoke to this company and you do your CCN1, CEN1/WAT1 & CPA1
12 weeks in the class room, 14 weeks with a company. Would the 14 weeks placement count as experience? or is this part of your training?
Click to expand...


the 14 weeks is portfolio building so it is experience building, you cant sit the ACS exams until you have an appropriate portfolio, i know 20 people at least, you have completed this type of course and who are working full time, 4-5 run their own company and have guys working for them as they are successful business men who brought a lot of skills INTO the gas industry, i have also met people who completed the course and are mince (just as i have met plumbers and sparks who are mince after 20 years in the trade)
to the OP do you "want" to be a gas engineer?
do you have any perception of what a gas engineer does?
do you know any gas engineers who can talk to you about the ins and outs of the trade
do you know anyone who has completed this course with this company who you can talk to
the guys who are qualified on here and talk of saturation levels have a poit, but there are some who dont like new entrants to their trade as they are "cutting their grass" as we say up here, but i have heard the most utter claptrap from people about all the newbies from guys who are 40 odd and have been doing gas for 10yrs (so they are now experienced and good) BUT they joined MY industry 10 yrs ago and are now cutting my grass, (oops wait a minute, im a time served plumber for over 30 yrs who has only been doing gas for about 18 yrs, so who's grass am i cutting, but thats different cause im good, and experienced and i'm ME, stable door/bolted/shut/horse springs to mind whe we talk about not allowig any more people into the trade, but its ok now cause im in, same as the home owners who fight tooth and nail for no more houses in "our area" what if the older owners had this opinion 20 yrs ago when they wanted to get a new house built
 
Clanger said:
Don't waste your money: [DLMURL="http://www.ciphe.org.uk/News/Dont-be-caught-out-by-rogue-trainers/"]Don[/DLMURL]
Click to expand...

not everyone who does these type of courses is wasting their money, there are plenty of busy guys out there and not everyone of them are 5yr gas apprentices
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If I had my time over again I would get myself one of those seats in the House of Commons - absolute best job on the planet!
 

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