help needed !!

[tony1967]

hi, i have just found this forum and its brilliant !!

i need some help?

i have just completed and passed my City & Guild 6129 L2 and i am already booked to to attend L3 in Dec2011.

But i am wishing to do my L2 NVQ ( and pay for this myself) and i have already have the approval from my college to place me on the assessment.

But i can seem to find a plumber who is willing for me to work for them for FREE/apprentice wage whilst i gain the valuable hands on experience needed.

I have just changed my career and i take this change very seriously, but the frustrating thing is getting the helping hand onto the plumbing ladder.

 

[diamondgas]

I guess where you live may help you get what you're looking for

 

[gaspastemania]

plumbing is in the doldrums big time at the moment . In all honesty you may end up changing career path yet again . IMHO

 

[AWheating]

hi tony,
welcome to the forum. If you read some of the other posts you will see we get a good number of simular posts on here. There is not alot of advise we can give you really, there are many experienced good plumbers who can not find work so your not alone.

 

[SimonG]

hi, i have just found this forum and its brilliant !!

i need some help?

i have just completed and passed my City & Guild 6129 L2 and i am already booked to to attend L3 in Dec2011.

But i am wishing to do my L2 NVQ ( and pay for this myself) and i have already have the approval from my college to place me on the assessment.

But i can seem to find a plumber who is willing for me to work for them for FREE/apprentice wage whilst i gain the valuable hands on experience needed.

I have just changed my career and i take this change very seriously, but the frustrating thing is getting the helping hand onto the plumbing ladder.

Welcome Tony1967.

What drove your career change into Plumbing? I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but not exactly a good time to be jumping into plumbing. Have a search and read all the posts from people in exactly the same position as you, probably hundreds, possibly thousands.
To be honest I don't fancy your chances.

Also a nice blunt question for you, possibly two in one and if you can't answer it then your definitely in the wrong game (sorry, trying to get in the wrong game), "why do you deserve a helping hand into plumbing?".

Good luck with your efforts.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

"why do you deserve a helping hand into plumbing"

good question simon

 

[Gray0689]

hi, i have just found this forum and its brilliant !!

i need some help?

i have just completed and passed my City & Guild 6129 L2 and i am already booked to to attend L3 in Dec2011.

But i am wishing to do my L2 NVQ ( and pay for this myself) and i have already have the approval from my college to place me on the assessment.

But i can seem to find a plumber who is willing for me to work for them for FREE/apprentice wage whilst i gain the valuable hands on experience needed.

I have just changed my career and i take this change very seriously, but the frustrating thing is getting the helping hand onto the plumbing ladder.

What was your proffesion?
Plumbing is a good trade but it's not learnt in x amount of weeks sure anyone can put in sanitaryware but plumbing in the real world is a little different than a training centre unless you been at it for a good wile then i'd forget it too many so called plumbers not enough work = wasting your money
Why would a plumber in your area train you up so you can then leave to set up in competition when he can get a 16 year old who will not

 

[tony1967]

Thank you to SimonG who has not slated me for wanting to join the profession you are all in? Firstly I studied at a college full-time for a year, no income just a passion. That is still there, looking for an opportunity to work with/for a plumber to gain knowledge is not wrong. Reputation is key, u can be the best plumber out there but if you have a poor reputation your nothing. You are only as good as your last job. Balls yes I have them, easy ride, no I know that. Passion to become a professional plumber got that too. Thanks SimonG for the question made me think bur more determined now.

 

[tamz]

Nobody is slating you for wanting to be a plumber but you should realise what is in front of you if you are to succeed. The trade is inundated with wannabe plumbers. Some for the right reasons some not. Most will never make it and of the ones who do, reality is a hard lesson and most will fail and have moved on in a year or 2. Very few plumbers are interested in taking on "free" help anymore. Too many have had their fingers burned with that one.

 

[tcplumbing]

Listen to yourselves!
This person has signed up to an NVQ in Plumbing.... The CORRECT way to do it! What a gang of biggots!
I served my time 31 yrs ago when it was the old C&G London Institute and surrounded by old men in white coats, wiping lead joints and brazing!


If you read this Tony... Then it sounds like you've not been told the full story really mate. The College should have pointed out that the 6129 course is only the Technical Certificate side of the qualification (although ...technically.... after passing all 13 C&G Exams by now I assume..... you would probably leave these lot for dead with your knowledge!)
So the College should have either being trying to sort you out with a position or told you at the outset you need to be employed within the industry before you can complete your NVQ Work based portfolio.... And sorry to say matey... You won't be going on to do your Level 3 NVQ if you don't complete your Level 2 first! The Level 3 is the one you need really.... It contains your Gas, Unvented Hot Water, Water Regs Qual, Energy Efficiency too!

I teach in the industry now and I'm a qualified C&G Assessor.... What we tell any of our lads who's firm finish them up half way through their training through no fault of their own.... is to advertise that they are available along with what they can offer a potential employer. If you're prepared to work for buttons, clean up, make coffee and run around after someone, then..... it'll come!
Use your local papers and advertise in the Trade sections or put flyers up in your local Plumbing merchants etc.... It is tough out there at the mo... the other fellas on here are right in that respect... but we still have lads being taken on... even last week we had two of my lads signed up with firms, so its still possible. Just keep going it'll be worth it in the end!

 

[GQuigley67]

for the OP, where abouts in the country are you ?

 

[markfxy]

tcp you might have 31 years experience but you now rely on these career changers to keep you in work the way i see it you're part of the problem, Don't you realise there are loads of highly trained and experienced plumbers sat at home twiddling their thumbs. There is no work out there yet your pushing more unqualified plumbers into the market.
Do you think we should all welcome them with open arms , Prices are tight at the moment without these trainees undercutting established plumbers just so they can gain experience! why don't you steer them towards a job in a booming industry like debt collecting, insolvency practitioners or Bailiffs

 

[Puddle]

May I remind all members we have a be nice policy on the forums

Should any member come across a thread or post he can not contribute to without breaking the above rule ,please just move on, negative and positive remarks can be made as long as in a constructive manor

Please keep posts on topic and any suggestions should be reported pm’ed or another thread started

There is no excuse for members to make any posts 'out of character' and action will be taken is this problem persists


And to Tony 1967,good luck to you,it is not easy for many at the moment and training is hard to find

 

[gaspastemania]

I do agree with markfxy to be honest the colleges are a major part of the problem !! a customer i had done some work for this morning was syaing that he thinks its a disgrace that training centers and colleges are happy to take the redundancy money off guys/girls who have lost the jobs to supposedly train them in an over crowded profession.
As for advertising in your area i would say give it a go but dont be surprised if you spend £500 and dont get a job from it .Like i stated in previous post 'plumbing is in the doldrums ' and its not going to get any better this year . Dont be surprised if your new venture fails and you find yourself out of pocket with little income coming in thats how plumbing is nationwide for the majority at the mo .

 

[GQuigley67]

also the whole working for free thing, working for free is slavery aka it is illegal ! so no one wants to do it, your well within your rights to take someone to court if your working for no pay and there is also the problem of taking on someone who isnt under your insurance. There are alot of hurdles and costs when taking someone on, expenses alot of people can't afford at the moment. You could try and get a job as a labourer or plumbers mate for a large firm who work on building sites, they always need someone to do all the running about getting materials etc. I served my time on commercial sites and for the 1st year or 2 I was running around cleaning up being a slave really but you still learn in the process and there is always a need for someone to do all the running about to keep the tradesmen working and making moeny and not wasting time going to container to get fittings/materials

 

[WaterTight]

i think the law with regards to unpaid work is a very slightly grey area. if you are shadowing rather than "working" (which let's be honest in most cases you would be 99% of the time) i think it's legal. especially where it's considered as part of further your quals or training. well, it certainly goes on a hell of a lot anyway. there are top london fashion houses which have 50 staff and 3 or 4 being paid.

i don't think plumbers are worried about being sued over using unpaid work to be honest. they might be worried about insurance being void etc.. but if their wits are about them, they choose someone who seems keen and alert and the work being offered mainly involves fetching tools and parts, doing very simple and risk-free tasks until they're ready to progress, shadowing and asking the odd question type stuff - which mostly it is - then there's not a lot of risk.

whereas fear over training up yet more competition and rates and work spiralling down - there's the rub.

 

[markfxy]

Sorry didn't mean to be rude what I meant to say was welcome to plumbing utopia, I think you've made the right career choice and I'm sure once you've finished training you'll have customers queuing up for your services, you will of course be earning so much money you wont be able to spend it all and every day will be a laugh a minute. Good luck and enjoy.:rockon2:

 

[PlumbBobBob]

i didn't think i was being rude pointing out a spelling mistake when the person it was aimed at was doing the same.
just noticed said person has been banned so i unreservedly withdraw my comment.

 

[WaterTight]

Sorry didn't mean to be rude what I meant to say was welcome to plumbing utopia, I think you've made the right career choice and I'm sure once you've finished training you'll have customers queuing up for your services, you will of course be earning so much money you wont be able to spend it all and every day will be a laugh a minute. Good luck and enjoy.:rockon2:

Is there a board rule about sarcasm? If not I'm going to have a field day.

 

[SimonG]

You go and play cricket for the afternoon and miss all the fun!