Fast track gas course

[Scott_D]

So these training centres are only good if you were to go out on your own self employed

Or upskilling from plumbing.

 

[BYP]

What’s the name of the training center? Some of these courses are not worth it. Also follow what Pickwick has said. If they can’t provide the details I’d give them a wide birth.

 

[Dougie2019]

What’s the name of the training center? Some of these courses are not worth it. Also follow what Pickwick has said. If they can’t provide the details I’d give them a wide birth.

Skills Training Group

 

[BYP]

Skills Training Group

They seem to checkout online as much as one can tell, ask for references from previous trainees and make sure they’re genuine, etc working for a company.

 

[Dougie2019]

They seem to checkout online as much as one can tell, ask for references from previous trainees and make sure they’re genuine, etc working for a company.

Thanks i will try and get sone references from previous students even if it all does check out i still find it very difficult to get a job if i pass the course

 

[Pickwickpick]

So these training centres are only good if you were to go out on your own self employed

Unless you have personal contacts in the industry then pretty much yes, there are so many of these training firms churning people out that the qualification is not what is in demand, its experience. Someone inexperienced could cost an employer way more than they bring in and they're not going to take that risk when they can employ someone with a track record.

As @scott_d says, the exception to that is people upskilling from plumbing. This is what I'm in the process of doing and I'd say the group I've been in is split roughly 50:50 between those that are already either gas/water and those from other backgrounds (they have do do an extra 4 weeks). The guys that are not from gas/water background are pretty demoralised at this stage, a couple of them seem to be planning on just doing landlord certs (which I think is wrong) but seeing as you now have to be on the register for at least 6 months before you can do your cookers & fires, I think they're going to struggle.

 

[Scott_D]

Unless you have personal contacts in the industry then pretty much yes, there are so many of these training firms churning people out that the qualification is not what is in demand, its experience. Someone inexperienced could cost an employer way more than they bring in and they're not going to take that risk when they can employ someone with a track record.

As @scott_d says, the exception to that is people upskilling from plumbing. This is what I'm in the process of doing and I'd say the group I've been in is split roughly 50:50 between those that are already either gas/water and those from other backgrounds (they have do do an extra 4 weeks). The guys that are not from gas/water background are pretty demoralised at this stage, a couple of them seem to be planning on just doing landlord certs (which I think is wrong) but seeing as you now have to be on the register for at least 6 months before you can do your cookers & fires, I think they're going to struggle.

Is that a recent change?

 

[Dougie2019]

Unless you have personal contacts in the industry then pretty much yes, there are so many of these training firms churning people out that the qualification is not what is in demand, its experience. Someone inexperienced could cost an employer way more than they bring in and they're not going to take that risk when they can employ someone with a track record.

As @scott_d says, the exception to that is people upskilling from plumbing. This is what I'm in the process of doing and I'd say the group I've been in is split roughly 50:50 between those that are already either gas/water and those from other backgrounds (they have do do an extra 4 weeks). The guys that are not from gas/water background are pretty demoralised at this stage, a couple of them seem to be planning on just doing landlord certs (which I think is wrong) but seeing as you now have to be on the register for at least 6 months before you can do your cookers & fires, I think they're going to struggle.

Thanks for the advice i thinking now the course would be a waste of money if i couldnt get i job after the training

 

[Pickwickpick]

Is that a recent change?

Yep applies to anyone who started training after October 2018. There's also now a minimum 10 week wait between finishing MLP (managed learning programme) and doing CCN1.

 

[Pickwickpick]

Thanks for the advice i thinking now the course would be a waste of money if i couldnt get i job after the training

No probs, maybe look into tiling as @townfanjon advised. The courses should be shorter (the tilingforum is a great resource), you'd still probably have to go self employed (although ask one the tiling forum I could be wrong) but its a much more viable option with limited experience than gas work and tilers seem to get paid decent money.

 

[Dougie2019]

Thanks for the advice think i will need to rethink and look futher into this before i book any courses

 

[Pickwickpick]

Best of luck with it all mate.

 

[Dougie2019]

Best of luck with it all mate.

Thanks

 

[Old Account]

Post #2 should say top right. 😱

So true 🙂

 

[Aire]

If you really want to get into gas then you really need to work along side a good and competent enginner, believe me I know. I didn't go the usual route and although I'm employed and gas registered, i wouldbt class my knowledge as the same as most engineers and it has held me back. Have you tried British gas? I think they train their engineers up fairly quickly compared to the traditional route and would be a better choice than those training centres.

 

[Dougie2019]

If you really want to get into gas then you really need to work along side a good and competent enginner, believe me I know. I didn't go the usual route and although I'm employed and gas registered, i wouldbt class my knowledge as the same as most engineers and it has held me back. Have you tried British gas? I think they train their engineers up fairly quickly compared to the traditional route and would be a better choice than those training centres.

Yeah I have spoke to British Gas they just said keep looking on our job page for apprenticeship there never mention if they would take someone on who does a course like that have you done a course like that or did u go down a different route?

 

[Aire]

Yeah I have spoke to British Gas they just said keep looking on our job page for apprenticeship there never mention if they would take someone on who does a course like that have you done a course like that or did u go down a different route?

As far as I'm aware, British gas only like to use enginners they've trained up themselves.
The route I went down was long winded. I did 2 years of full-time college followed by getting a work placement with a gas registered company. I stayed with the firm for around 7 years doing alot of domestic gas installation etc but in that time my boss never allowed me back to college to complete my nvq2 and kept promising my I would get gas qualified through a fast track course instead. That never materialised and I left and joined my current construction firm. They have been good to me and paid for me to get my gas qualifications but it took them 4 years to actualy do it and in that time i forgot alot of what id learnt with my previous company. I believe it was around £4k for me to do it. I completed a Small portfolio followed by an access to gas course, which was literally a 2 day 1 on 1 assessment which basically bypassed my nvq3 so I then had the minimum requirement to do my acs which was another 2 days of training and 3 days of assessment. I'm greatful I'm qualified but I'm sure some enginners on here would be horrified at how easy I got it compared to how they did.

 

[Dougie2019]

As far as I'm aware, British gas only like to use enginners they've trained up themselves.
The route I went down was long winded. I did 2 years of full-time college followed by getting a work placement with a gas registered company. I stayed with the firm for around 7 years doing alot of domestic gas installation etc but in that time my boss never allowed me back to college to complete my nvq2 and kept promising my I would get gas qualified through a fast track course instead. That never materialised and I left and joined my current construction firm. They have been good to me and paid for me to get my gas qualifications but it took them 4 years to actualy do it and in that time i forgot alot of what id learnt with my previous company. I believe it was around £4k for me to do it. I completed a Small portfolio followed by an access to gas course, which was literally a 2 day 1 on 1 assessment which basically bypassed my nvq3 so I then had the minimum requirement to do my acs which was another 2 days of training and 3 days of assessment. I'm greatful I'm qualified but I'm sure some enginners on here would be horrified at how easy I got it compared to how they did.

If British Gas were to train you up you I would think they would want someone younger rather than someone in there 30s that’s why I was wanting to do fast track course as the apprenticeship takes four years and most company wouldn’t employ a 30 year old apprentice the training course am looking at gives you 7 weeks work placement to get your portfolio built up

 

[Chuck]

I'm sure some enginners on here would be horrified at how easy I got it compared to how they did.

You showed a sustained interest in gas work over more than a decade and did the training and passed the tests as and when your circumstances permitted. It doesn't seem like you had it particularly easy to me.

 

[Aire]

You showed a sustained interest in gas work over more than a decade and did the training and passed the tests as and when your circumstances permitted. It doesn't seem like you had it particularly easy to me.

I have committed to the trade since I left school at 16. But as I've mentioned in another thread, my portfolio consisted of 6 boiler installs and that was enough to do my access to gas followed by acs. In my opinion I didn't feel I knew enough to pass, and if the assessment was closed book I likely wouldbt have done.