C&G 6128 or C&G 6129? Please help...

[WaterTight]

But the qualifications you talk of {of which i have a few) will not be cashed at Tesco. In fact during my career (62 to day and under the influence) i can only remember needing them on approx 3 occasions.

From 2011 (or maybe 2012) the law is going to be that you have to either have or be working towards your NVQ to work as a plumber. So one way or another up and coming plumbers are going to have to get those qualifications. And since there are no apprenticeships, it's going to have to be private colleges.

 

[andyg0507]

as of next year (september) there will no longer be a 6129 plumbing course, its going to become a plumbing diploma where there will be nvq modules involved in the course.

so you are going to have to be in employment/self employment to get onto the course in the first place.

apparently this is due to the lack of people actually becoming a plumber once the 6129 has been completed.

 

[WaterTight]

where did you hear that? got a link to a source? sounds interesting

 

[andyg0507]

from my college tutor, hes been going to meetings with city and guilds all over the country about it for a fair few months now.

also think someone else has mantioned it on another thread somewhere,

ill try and find it and post.

http://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/plumbing-courses/318-nvq2-advice-guidance.html

4th page of thread

 

[Smcart5]

I read that post and i don't understand why if there is not enough qualified people working in the trade after doing a technical certificate then why not offer incentives for companies to train people who have just finished one? :/

 

[joe brown]

why not offer incentives for companies to train people who have just finished one? :/

Great idea , I agree 100%

 

[Bernie2]

The problem is as many will seem to tell you. There seems to be little work out there. If Plumbers are required that badly you would be surprised how quick the controls come off.

In 1963 the year of the big freeze, plumbers on the dole where virtually conscripted into council repair work.

Outside of that, it doesn't matter how well or badly your qualified, its more "Can you do the job!" After all its the product you make that the customer pays for not your qualifications.

You could be a Professor Plumbing Mechanical Engineering but you would probably only get paid the same for washering a tap as a first year Plumber.

Trying to get work, is about selling your wares, like any salesman, not only getting exam passes.

If you notice those who seem to be doing well such as seem to have gone for niche markets. Some specialize in areas others don't do.

The sexy stuff, like central heating repair and installation, seems to be chocker block, with competition, as are kitchen fitting, bathrooms, shower installations and gutter work.

But what about drains?

Commercial and Industrial work?

Sheet work i.e. copper, steel, Nuralite and lead?

Green energies? Voltaic, solar, heat pumps?

Plumbing is a big field, look around for opportunity.

Don't go knocking on doors, go to the factories if you can find any that is and the office blocks looking for work. Its amazing what is out there. Get in with building caretakers and the like and offer bespoke services.

 

[andyg0507]

Hi all,

had chance to speak to my tutor today about what happens next year so thought id share what i was told, and please do not take my word for every comment i write as it has come from my tutor( who is a good one).

the 6129 as of june this year will be no more, and it will become a moduler plumbing course, you will have to do a core module first (like acs) and then complete further modules to complete the course, also in the course is the nvq module, but this will no longer be called nvq.

so the course will be one whole course no more 6129, 6089 etc..

the one thing he did (try explaining to me) is that the health and safety module will be the same for all construction courses( sparkys,brickys,plumbers,joiners)

and the reason for this is (so he told me) is if you find after a few weeks on your chosen course that its not for you, you then have the first base module to go onto another construction trade.

like i said its all a bit sketchy at mo, but im sure all will become clear within a few months.

 

[REDSAW]

The problem is as many will seem to tell you. There seems to be little work out there. If Plumbers are required that badly you would be surprised how quick the controls come off.

In 1963 the year of the big freeze, plumbers on the dole where virtually conscripted into council repair work.

Outside of that, it doesn't matter how well or badly your qualified, its more "Can you do the job!" After all its the product you make that the customer pays for not your qualifications.

You could be a Professor Plumbing Mechanical Engineering but you would probably only get paid the same for washering a tap as a first year Plumber.

Trying to get work, is about selling your wares, like any salesman, not only getting exam passes.

If you notice those who seem to be doing well such as seem to have gone for niche markets. Some specialize in areas others don't do.

The sexy stuff, like central heating repair and installation, seems to be chocker block, with competition, as are kitchen fitting, bathrooms, shower installations and gutter work.

But what about drains?

Commercial and Industrial work?

Sheet work i.e. copper, steel, Nuralite and lead?

Green energies? Voltaic, solar, heat pumps?

Plumbing is a big field, look around for opportunity.

Don't go knocking on doors, go to the factories if you can find any that is and the office blocks looking for work. Its amazing what is out there. Get in with building caretakers and the like and offer bespoke services.

interesting thread bern,
wasnt the big freeze 1961 2' of snow n all that?.

 

[Bernie2]

Hi! Redsaw!

I think it was Boxing day 1962 - March 63.

I was an older apprentice drafted into doing a full Plumbers job by the boss.

Made a small fortune, but young then and had no sense to talk off, so spent it on, motor bike, tape recorder and all kinds of stuff like that. We often worked till 1am in the morning then up at 7 to start again at 8.

 

[Readingplumber]

In response to watertight -

From 2011 (or maybe 2012) the law is going to be that you have to either have or be working towards your NVQ to work as a plumber. So one way or another up and coming plumbers are going to have to get those qualifications. And since there are no apprenticeships, it's going to have to be private colleges.


how would it be policed - Example a builder who does a bit of plumbing but mostly a builder? Or what about the hobbyist who does bits of plumbing for their friends? who can set these laws? who can police them? If i remember rightly the water regulations wanted every one who works on water to be competent - it would just be impossible to monitor or policed.
Do you have a source for the law, i googled it but no avail - Its not from one of these private colleges saying it in their advert to scare people into doing a plumbing course?

Thanks

 

[applicator1]

Hi,

So i have come to the conclusion that i want to be a plumber, and have decided to do so via the private provider route. Reason being that college/apprenticeship would take too long.
My question is, what's the difference between the City & Guilds 6128 and the City & Guilds 6129 qualification. Many providers offer one or the other, each biased towards the one that they provide, claiming that theirs is the more appropriate and 'industry recognized'. I have devoted an unhealthy set of hours each day in search of a definitive answer. But no luck. I simply want to become a plumber, and then move on to be CORGI registered etc...

Im aware that both qualifications will give you the opportunity to gain these credentials. Im also aware the 6128 is a Heating & Ventilation certificate and that the 6129 is a general plumbing one, yet both lead you to getting the full NVQ Level 2 (after all the on-site assessments in a work place etc), which is essentially what you need to be a plumber. But whats the real difference??

It would be great to hear from people in the same boat as me, as i am sure that there are many who have encountered this same dilemma, and probably feel you are left in the middle, and pretty much in the dark, with everyone giving you misleading info, and even plumbers telling you that private providers are a waste of time. I would love to hear from people that have taken these qualification, especially the 6128, as this seems to be the cheaper of the two, but im a bit suspicious as to why that is the case.
Thanks for any help.

Hi, You will find that the 6129 does make you a qualified Plumber. It is a Machanical Engineering Certificate. An NVQ is work based quliforcation which is usually for young people who are on apprenticeships. After you have done your 6129 you will then be able to straight to Gas. The 6129 covers far more and is more intensive and a better qualiforcation than the 6128.
Have fun pipe strangling

 

[REDSAW]

Hi, You will find that the 6129 does make you a qualified Plumber. It is a Machanical Engineering Certificate. An NVQ is work based quliforcation which is usually for young people who are on apprenticeships. After you have done your 6129 you will then be able to straight to Gas. The 6129 covers far more and is more intensive and a better qualiforcation than the 6128.
Have fun pipe strangling

think you may be slightly misled bud,
6129 is a technical certificate to prove you know what your on about.
an nvq proves that you can do what your talking about.

a 6129 is general plumbing.
a 6128 is heating and ventilation.

so if you were leading to gas, which one would be the logical choice out of the 2 above?.🙄

either way really you takes your choice at the end of the day.

 

[philtheflush]

right now for my turn im in to my 2nd year of my technical certificate and about to start of on my own. there will always be people out there in the trade that feel agrieved that they did an apprentiship for so many years and they are the gods of plumbing, if you go it alone because theres no apprentice jobs out there or no one will take you on because the qualificaton isnt good enough good luck to you. actually the commitment of doing the course without pay is proof enough your determined to learn. everyone makes mistakes and thats how we learn if you do go it alone dont charge the earth and explain i think people will understand especially in this financial climate. and using this forum will also help you, if the 6129 was no good well then why is the government so stringent with gas safety. feel the force and get out there you can do it after all they did.

 

[murat61]

Traditional route = 4/5 year apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships = Now effectively non-existant

Fast-Track Courses = Booming

Result = Too many fast-trackers

Fast-Trackers = Not plumbers

Fast-Tracker's Job Prospects = Nothing (most likely) Unpaid work-experience (relatively likely if persistant) Employable As A Trainee (not impossible but very highly sought after)


I did the 6129, 5 months full-time at a reputable college. Used it to struggle into unpaid work-experience after months of searching. Further searching has led just recently to possible offer of paid trainee position.

This suits my circumstances. I've no kids, no mortgage. But if you have... think again...

You have literally, LITERALLY.. no chance of being employed as a plumber, on a plumber's money, after the 6218/6129.

But if you're realistic and prepared to work for free for experience before possibly getting a job as a trainee for a pittance with the chance of, several years down the line, approaching looking like something of a plumber... able to be paid something approaching looking like a plumber's money.. Then yes, you can do that. It's not impossible.

But unless you're either a very talented DIY'er looking to be out on his own in no-time or someone with no real commitments who is prepared to take **** money for a good few years...probably not worth it.

so u would recommend colleges ?
i have no experience about plumbing i found a few course but they offer 27 days practical course but other colleges are offerin 9 months course.

 

[Bakiibak]

Hi, guys anyone out there who is a whiz on explaining purging volumes U6 metric up to 28mm pipe......?? I will try and explain what is confusing me so bear with me...hear goes, I have a few questions got my exams due soon so really got to get this in my head (i know you will all understand what am goin through!!)

I know the amounts 0.01m3 0.35 ft3 etc but don't know how we get to these figures. I understand its 5 x the badge cap. and 4 x for purge and cap but how do we get to the figure 0.01 when the badge cap. is V = 2dm3 (G4) am I doing this right assuming 2dm3 /1000 = 0.002 then multiply by 5 to get 0.01 m3 therefore 4 x = 0.008 (0.01m3) is this correct?

Also not quite understanding how the imperial calc. work out in my notes:
5 x 0.071 = 0.355ft3 I understand that!! but for 4 x 0.071 = 0.284 ft3 is this correct??

in my notes I have 4 x 0.142 = 0.568ft3 which one is right my notes cap is suddenly 0.0142
regards dave

 

[fuzzy]

The 6128/6129 won't give you the NVQ, The NVQ is a different Qualification to the City and Guilds.

City and Guilds- Theory and practice.

NVQ- Work based learning and tests.

the NVQ is C&G?????????????? this post is confusing

Hi, You will find that the 6129 does make you a qualified Plumber. It is a Machanical Engineering Certificate. An NVQ is work based quliforcation which is usually for young people who are on apprenticeships. After you have done your 6129 you will then be able to straight to Gas. The 6129 covers far more and is more intensive and a better qualiforcation than the 6128.
Have fun pipe strangling

sorry but this post is wrong.

The 6129 tec cert is part of the NVQ for a start, you cannot get an NVQ without getting all the units from the 6129 tec cert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the 6129 is plumbing and the 6128 heating and vent, one is not better than the other but different trades although related. i know i did the H&V to begin with and then the plumbing later in life

am i correct in saying that the 6129 is the technical certificate level 3? Are you sure this has lead in as i know the tech cert level 2 does but not sure on the level 3. I am contemplting doing a night course on 6129 as ive already got my NVQ 2 and am looking to build on my qualifications.

there aRE 2 6129 tec certs, level 2 and level 3

 

[Paul Cockhill]

HI

I have done the 6128 course, alot of theory and not much practise. It was impossible to work for a plumber because they are just not interested, so i have gone out on the self employed route and have picked up jobs with letting agencies and through leaflet drops. However what I have found is I need experience to do something confidently and it has been a real dilemma. I have had to be brave and take on jobs that would take an experienced plumber half the time I have taken but I want to make sure that I have done a good job. I have been lucky in that I have been working for my brothers building company and doing alot of their plumbing jobs, which has helped on the experience.

Going back to your point, 6128 was good for basic theory and practise but go for the NVQ's as soon as you can

 

[keylock000]

Hi dudes

6128 and 6128 levels 2 and 3 are city and guilds certificates in two different disciplines and is a technical certificate in that field

You can complete lvl 2 and 3 in either or both if you wish, but to get the NVQ you must first complete the lvl 2 NVQ and then go on to lvl 3 NVQ

6088 is the NVQ for HVAC and 6089 is the NVQ for Plumbing



I have been told that the ACS will not accept anyone who has no work based practice (NVQs) so an NVQ is required to complete the ACS (Basic Gas qualifications tests)

You may have heard otherwise, if so tell us your storey

Regards Keylock000

 

[keylock000]

Hi dudes

6128 and 6128 levels 2 and 3 are city and guilds certificates in two different disciplines and is a technical certificate in that field

You can complete lvl 2 and 3 in either or both if you wish, but to get the NVQ you must first complete the lvl 2 NVQ and then go on to lvl 3 NVQ

6088 is the NVQ for HVAC and 6089 is the NVQ for Plumbing



I have been told that the ACS will not accept anyone who has no work based practice (NVQs) so an NVQ is required to complete the ACS (Basic Gas qualifications tests)

You may have heard otherwise, if so tell us your storey

Regards Keylock000

just to add to this link.... if you have a local (or not so local) gas safe registered plumber willing to give you some time ( and this will normally be unpaid ) on gas training, lets say about 6 months experience (which is a minimum amount of training) you can contact your local ACS dept and get entered onto the course as a catagory 2 candidate providing you have your lvl 2 and 3 cerificate 6129 as proof of ..ect ect... without the need to gain a full NVQ of any type....so my above comments are slightly misleading...sorry chaps