Help for building a gas safe portfolio

[PrA]

Hi
A month ago I completed a two-year Domestic Gas Engineer foundation training. Unfortunately, the opportunity they offer me for a work placement to build my portfolio is in Leeds, and I live in London.
I'm just wondering if there's a certified gas engineer who can help me build the portfolio for the ACS exam.
I have no experience with gas, except for those five weeks at college. On the other hand, I have extensive experience in construction for over 18 years. My last job before starting the course was Head Builder. During the course and currently, I am working as a part-time handyman.
I will highly appreciate any given opportunity or advice on where I can find it.
I will greatly appreciate every opportunity or advice I provide about where I can find it. I am sure we will be able to agree on the price that I will eventually have to pay.
Thank you in advance.

 

[MaksimsK]

IS the Romford area is close to you?

 

[PrA]

Thank you for the quick response MaksimsK
Definitely. I live in Redbridge

 

[MaksimsK]

Afraid i'm not offering my help with portfolio, but I can give you a direction.
Try to contact BoilerMedic. I've done mine with them last year and they are very, very helpful. Find Jon, he is a main person there. I will send you his phone in private message.
According to my experience, there is tiny chance that someone will help you with the portfolio on a private basis, I think mostly because of all liability insurance stuff. Jon, is cooperating with assessment centres and he know exactly what they looked for and he also help you to finish you write-ups later. But be ready to pay for that (

 

[PrA]

I really appreciate your help MaksimsK. Yes, I know that I will need to pay. My main concern is to find someone who will help me and not just waste my money. Thanks a lot.

 

[MaksimsK]

I have a great time when was doing my portfolio.
He will control, what you have all pictures and done every needed test to comply with all BPec requirements. After you will finish all jobs (usually it's 3 installs, 7 services and 2 gas fires), you will book an appointment in centre where you planning to check your portfolio and few weeks before, you will sit with Jon and do all write-ups and pictures.
My portfolio was accepted in a 15 minutes time, they have no questions to me at all.

 

[Riley]

I have a great time when was doing my portfolio.
He will control, what you have all pictures and done every needed test to comply with all BPec requirements. After you will finish all jobs (usually it's 3 installs, 7 services and 2 gas fires), you will book an appointment in centre where you planning to check your portfolio and few weeks before, you will sit with Jon and do all write-ups and pictures.
My portfolio was accepted in a 15 minutes time, they have no questions to me at all.

Did you have any plumbing Or gas experience before though?

 

[PrA]

Unfortunately, the part of the plumbing/central heating and gas was quite far from my duties. I have just a basic plumbing knowledge. That was the aim of doing the course but...

 

[Riley]

I’m not sure I understand your terminology. People get really cryptic about this. When you say “quite far from your duties” are you saying you weren’t able to attend the gas bits??

 

[MaksimsK]

Did you have any plumbing Or gas experience before though?

nope, no experience in plumbing or gas.
And that's the major problem after I become fully qualified in December. you know, usual stuff: no job for not experienced ppl, no experience, because you can't get...

 

[Riley]

This is my point. I don’t get why you would go down this route without doing C&G/NVQ route 99% of people won’t get a job so will go solo or give up and have no knowledge or expertise for installing or repairs or diagnosing faults. I’m not being negative I just know that out of my college group when I left school only three of them including me are in the job. Thingis you’re saying about being “fully qualified” whereas in fact you don’t know how to design a heating system or work out specific heat capacities or calculate a property heat loss. What are you actually fully qualified in??

 

[MaksimsK]

This is my point. I don’t get why you would go down this route without doing C&G/NVQ route 99% of people won’t get a job so will go solo or give up and have no knowledge or expertise for installing or repairs or diagnosing faults. I’m not being negative I just know that out of my college group when I left school only three of them including me are in the job. Thingis you’re saying about being “fully qualified” whereas in fact you don’t know how to design a heating system or work out specific heat capacities or calculate a property heat loss. What are you actually fully qualified in??

Absolutely agree, but...
By that time (year ago), I just wanted to change my way I'm living. But I'm afraid, I had no one to explain what you mentioned before. If I knew, I definitely go CG NVQ lvl2 route and than Gas. But even then, without experience, that's not guaranty me a work place.

 

[PrA]

I’m not sure I understand your terminology. People get really cryptic about this. When you say “quite far from your duties” are you saying you weren’t able to attend the gas bits??

Sorry being cryptic was not my intention. The point was that like a head builder I was involved in mostly demolition and structural part. There was a dedicated plumber/gas engineer doing the plumbing/central heating/gas appliances installing. Yes, I had an IDEA of what he was doing but this is not counting (in my opinion) as a proper EXPERIENCE.

 

[Riley]

I didn’t mean anything rude by it I’m sure you can appreciate that we see a lot f cases such as this where training centres promise the earth and generally come up short. Is there no discussion room with your training centre saying that Leeds is impractical for you?

 

[PrA]

Unfortunately(for me) just Leeds.
Anyway, thank you for the interest Riley. 🙂

 

[Alastair Davis]

Absolutely agree, but...
By that time (year ago), I just wanted to change my way I'm living. But I'm afraid, I had no one to explain what you mentioned before. If I knew, I definitely go CG NVQ lvl2 route and than Gas. But even then, without experience, that's not guaranty me a work place.

Hi MaksimsK,

Wondering if you have a job after the course, and how you're getting on? There's a fair few on this forum who are looking to do a similar course and i thought perhaps if you're doing alright it might give others some optimism? Maybe you have some first hand (intensive course) advise etc?

 

[MaksimsK]

I'm afraid you have almost NO chance to be employed by ANY company, if you having no or little experience.
They will 'call you back', keep you in mind or in their database, or hundreds of reasons to reject you

Noone needs you until you get at least a 1 year proven experience. Most common case, they ask for 3 to 5 years. Noone wants to babysit you, or teach you, or guide you or anything. Businesses are made only to make a profit and not to teach/spend money on someone hoping what later, that person will give all that back. Little exemption is a big companies like BG, EDF or similar.

I've tried everything, tried every single possibility to get on board to any company.
The only way what's left is to start your own company.

 

[Riley]

Sorry to play devils advocate, but why SHOULD smaller companies take a punt on somebody with no experience. Give you a good example. Friend of mine wanted to try and take on an apprentice. He was really chuffed as he got what he was told by the college was the top of the class student. The lad was keen, punctual, wanted to learn and had initiative. However, put him in a customers house and he completely fell apart with nerves and inexperience of being “on the job” in the end my mate had to let him go as 1 in 3 of his solder joints would burst or leak. This lad understood the mechanics of a heating system and how they all work and could properly size a system and properly spec an install but couldn’t work under pressure. Now this lad had proper college training and understood why he was doing what he was doing and how what he was doing would impact the performance of a system. How can you expect a small company to take a punt on someone that doesn’t have the background knowledge or the mechanical mind. I felt really sorry for this lad because he really wanted to be a plumber but I have no doubt that he could get a job designing large systems or similar. Can you offer that kind of knowledge??

 

[MaksimsK]

As I said, no one should, but they still could try.
Unfortunately, training centres only interested in getting your money.

You mention mistakes that guy was making. I'm reading lots of different stories and see jobs made by 'experienced' heating engineers. They make me laugh, they make me scared, how they can make such a bad quality job with 5+ years of experience.

 

[Riley]

That guy was an apprentice. I think my point is that this guy was trained and still made some mistakes some train g centre guys don’t even have that foundation