Gas safe Magic or Money Maker

[thompsonbrown]

i was just thinking back to when i first did my my acs at chichester collage back in 2002 and can remember what the instructors first words to the class were." Don't worry about passing this course everybody does think of it as getting paid for having a week off " don't get me wrong the instructor was a great bloke. but being self employed missing a weeks work and spending nearly £700 at the time didn't make me laugh. as the week went on i got to know all the blokes on the course only 3 of us were paying ourself for the course. one was a really nice old bloke, who's joy in life was fixing boilers, you know the type when you go for lunch and your all sat around swapping boiler story's trying to impress everyone about how clever you are and how in depth your boiler knowledge is only by the end of the week your telling everyone the time it took 2 days to fix what turned out to be the reset button. had a great week but what impressed me the most was the knowledge of this old guy had on boilers. from really old, ideal standard type-e, wall mounted thorn emi cast iron boilers with the balanced flue that took a full day to fit. glow worm 35 my first fanned flue and my first combi imported chaffoteaux combi with just french instructions can't imagen trying to get away with that now. this guy new. to the latest models Worcester junior at the time. served his time as a plumber in the 60's now just wanting his corgi ticket to see him to retirement. servicing boilers. complete opposite to this young kitchen fitter who had done a intensive 12 week plumbing course got his nvq level 2 or something and sat there telling us story's like john guest blanks are great for capping of gas hobs when he was ripping out kitchens save having to light pilot on boiler and fire (really he thought he was giving us a good tip). well what happened was everyone did pass the course everyone except the old guy. just couldn't do the test. got about 15 questions wrong, instructor was with him over 2 hours with his oral. next day on cen1 every one was shocked. i'm not saying he should have passed, I'm just saying a guy who 3 month earlier hadn't a clue about plumbing passed still not having a clue. being able to pay £700 and remember what you read a few hours earlier, should not make you a gas engineer. i know things have tightened up since. and the old guy probably re-sat and passed. but back then taking time of work paying well over £1000 by the time i got my ticket and watching a guy pass who i wouldn't trust filling up a zippo lighter made me think was it beneficial or was it about the money, just not sure. and it doesn't help when you read the latest government report


www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/.../1851/185105.htm

 

[Dotty]

I dunno. It made my eyes hurt......

 

[TBServices]

Sorry, but more than 4/5 lines of text without a paragraph will be ignored by these eyes.

 

[Howsie]

Words. And a lot of them.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I agree to be fair their are guys i know are shocking fitters/engineers and yet can sit in a class or do a practical exam and fly through .Yet i know others who are very knowledgeable but hate that enviroment so struggle.

 

[thompsonbrown]

A bit to long eh

 

[AWheating]

ive just done my acs AGAIN this week.........

i have no problem with the place i went to, very good infact. I do have a problem with the structure of the acs tbh. 2 of us on the course were experienced engineers 3 were being put through it on tax payers money, dont know what they had to go through to get to do the course but they admitted having no real experience or interest in staying in the trade either. Im guessing that benifits would be effected if the course was not finished?

the main feeling i come away with every 5 years is i have not really learnt anything new and most of it does not really prove your worth/competence. Maybe im expecting too much, not from the training center and for the cost ive paid, but from the point of view that 80% of whats covered never seems relevant to myself and your taught to pass rather that taught for knowledge. Im happy to get it out the way and only loose £610 plus a weeks money really, so in a way im happy with it, then im dissappointed as well. 🙁 🙁


its not really anything to do with gas safe though as the topic title may suggest 🙂

 

[zzzjim]

Best ask the fire brigade how many houses destroyed :-

a) burnt down by Iffy wiring - cheap Import electrical goods
b) A Smoker got blame for Blaze
c) Blown to bits by gas leaks

( Despite the Fuss- I'm not afraid to walk down street in town-I can out run Fire)

 

[TBServices]

A bit to long eh

No, just badly written. Not having a go, but I would have read it if it was spaced out properly with full stops, commas, capital letters and paragraphs in place.

 

[kay-jay]

No, just badly written. Not having a go, but I would have read it if it was spaced out properly with full stops, commas, capital letters and paragraphs in place.

I read it in its entirety. What did he say?😀

 

[thompsonbrown]

Good job I can fit bathrooms then.:yes:

 

[Nostrum]

ive just done my acs AGAIN this week.........

i have no problem with the place i went to, very good infact. I do have a problem with the structure of the acs tbh. 2 of us on the course were experienced engineers 3 were being put through it on tax payers money, dont know what they had to go through to get to do the course but they admitted having no real experience or interest in staying in the trade either. Im guessing that benifits would be effected if the course was not finished?

the main feeling i come away with every 5 years is i have not really learnt anything new and most of it does not really prove your worth/competence. Maybe im expecting too much, not from the training center and for the cost ive paid, but from the point of view that 80% of whats covered never seems relevant to myself and your taught to pass rather that taught for knowledge. Im happy to get it out the way and only loose £610 plus a weeks money really, so in a way im happy with it, then im dissappointed as well. 🙁 🙁


its not really anything to do with gas safe though as the topic title may suggest 🙂

i agree. Questions should be on day to day technical knowledge, closed book. Not what BS number should be written on an item you may never see in your working life. If I need to know that I'll look it up as required.

 

[stevetheplumber]

there used to be two very similar questions and the real answer to both was phone the number on the meter but for one you had to say contact the gas supplier and to the other you had to say contact the transporter ffs its the same number

 

[kirkgas]

I agree that the ACS should contain closed book relevant questions based on and therefore confirming that the candidate does actually know what they are doing

 

[E4gas]

It's ok passing exams , it's getting the work & knowledge , that takes time , money
Can't buy ,, that's why so called GSR have left or no work ,
Some guy texted me , passed his GSR , but offered to work for me 6 days a week
8-5pm for no money ,,

It's a long road , only people to earn is the training centres & GAS SAFE

I think if you have a re sit it should be half the fee ,,