Train 4 Trade Skills

[Marcelle]

hi this is a very interesting post as im battling to find the right course for me but this sounds absolutely perfect please can you forweard on details of exactly what course you did with trade for skills and what sort of work you got after. id really appreciate a speedy reply as I have an interview with access2 trade careers tomorrow doing a plumbing and gas course which is 6028???

thanx for your time and help

marcelle

 

[david williams]

Re: tony bryden from train 4 trade skills

where are you all going to go when you finish these cources,check with local plumbers in your area to see about employment,you may change your mind about spending your money.and its not just old plumbers not wanting you to become plumbers,its lack of work in the industry.and as i found out the other day from a freind of my son who has done a fast track course,he called me in to sort out something he was not sure of,his mate who did the course with him ,thought he new better than any plumber who qualified more than two days before him, so its not all one way

 

[bcp]

Re: tony bryden from train 4 trade skills

Sorry but 'these people' are not necessarily 'gits'. They are salesmen. Selling is a legitimate profession in order to earn a living. If there is an issue with misrepresentation on any aspect (this applies for any training company) - contact trading standards. Route out and expose the cowboys!! Anyone signing up for, or contemplating entering the plumbing trade (trade is not a dirty word - it means skill and something anyone having it should be proud of) needs to be wary of salesmen (as in any other arena). The bottom line is :- Is there work after training? Is there any work at all? Are you looking to go self-employed or hope for employment with a firm? Can you hack being self-employed? Can your partner if you have one? Can you bide your time whilst building a business? Is the course worth the money?. Is plumbing for you? Ask youselves ALL these questions BEFORE signing with any firm and DO some research. Yes there is work out there but not a lot and prices are lower than ever: competition is fierce! Lastly gang, remember - if and when you face the big wide world with your new tools and skills, you will have to become salesmen yourselves coz work sure-as hell wont come knocking on your door. For the record, I run a small plumbing concern: I am not a training provider salesman or linked with or to any training provider.

 

[secret squirrel]

Re: tony bryden from train 4 trade skills

I agree with bcp 100 per cent. I did a fast track course at the beginning of this year and have been in business for about 4 months. Its hard going, its a struggle.

Courses don't teach the intricasies of plumbing, the problems you come across, what to expect, what happens when it goes wrong. what to do if you just don't know what to do. What to carry on the van. What to charge, when that 30 minute job turns into 4 hours and its one thing after the other.

Yep, its fun on the course, thinking you've turned the water off, soldered all the joints correctly but as soon as you go into a house there's no fun then.... that mistake is expensive. You haven't quite frozen that pipe although you've followed the instructions..........

I can honestly say that I have never read instructions on packets as much as I have in the last few months. These fast track courses can do many things but they can never give you experience....... I am leaning something new every job, even if its a tap washer.

Everyone must be careful when handing over that amount of money and not make an on the spot decision, my advice, think very carefully before handing over a huge amount of money, Plumbing is not an easy route to riches, its extremely hard work with many highs and lows. If you need a regular income with paid holiday and sick leave do not go down the self employed route.

I tried applying for the college route but it was still going to cost me a lot and I was too old for most of the courses, so fast track was my only option.

Having said about the self employed route, dependent on your age and financial needs it may be the only route.

Whatever you decide college or fast track. Good luck and expect hard work.

 

[kwakerdude911]

yeah 6 weeks would be too much in one go -

 

[kwakerdude911]

if u dont have an nvq u will have probs getting work - nvq's are work based as well as theory - from what u are saying you havent done this
trade 4 trade have had more bad press then good so gives us an idea - there are pros and cons
i done a course which i had to pay for because the government wont help people over a certain age as far as education is concerned and took that over 2 years so was able to digest everything
some courses like this are ok i would say to do
obviously if u are leavin school get on a full time course for nothing !

 

[newbie1]

Re: tony bryden from train 4 trade skills

another spot on post secret
was putting a boiler and 4 rads in the other day in a void house so no flooring/carpets turned water on fine
fired up the heating pipe expanded and pop pin hole on a joint water spurting out 🙁🙁

 

[IPB Plumb]

Re: tony bryden from train 4 trade skills

Secret I am with you totally...

I retire when I am 50ish... Problem is that's to old too get gainful college experience over a two/three year course. I will need a fast track course and then go it alone and build on experience and learn and start off slowly...

I will be in the lucky position of having money and backing to do this even if it doesn't work out... I don't want to retire and sit and be bored every day. I will just try and tag along to some bigger jobs with someone else and hopefully the country will be a little more straight by then and there will be jobs for everyone !!!!!!!!! Pigs may fly to.....

 

[anonplumber]

Re: train4 trade skills new starter

I loved train 4 trades. I rushed through my first books as I was so excited only to then have to wait 7 months to get on my first practical. when i finnally got to go on it i was shocked to find out it was in wakefield or luton, I was sold that the course was in scotland! When I did get to wakefield I found that I wasn't alone, 6 other scots were told the same thing and others were also told the training centre was near them. The trouble didn't stop there. when i got to weeks 3and4 practicals (6 months after compleating tma's) we were taught the opposit to things in the books, the exam question had things that we were never told (1 out of 16 people passed). There were so many other problems that I could go on all day listing. During break time in the busy tearoom someone got up on a table and asked "is anyone satisfied with t4ts?" There was a few second silence followed by roars of laughter.
I have made my name anon as at the moment 11 of us have clubbed together to take t4ts to court.

 

[anonplumber]

Re: train4 trade skills new starter

don't worry about water regs. Its open book and the test even gives you the page AND paragraph to look in.

 

[rfvpatlttp]

Re: train4 trade skills new starter

OK guy's, I was studying plumbing through PlumbingSkills and the Skills Centre (Cardiff) until they went belly up but because my practicals were held at ATL in Southampton, who have now taken over the admin side from PlumbingSkills and the Skill Centre aswell I have been transfered onto the Train4Trades course in order to continue my training.

I was booked in at ATL for the end of this month to do my third week, the Bpec WRAS Water Reg's but it got cancelled because of the switch over and I had to wait for the T4TS course work to arrive so they could assess my knowledge and Plumbing skill for inclusion onto the T4TS course.

Basically starting all over again.🙁

The first course module arrived yesterday along with a couple cd/dvd's and instructions on how to access the online student website and the Tutor Team. The problem is, you are supposed to use your 'college number' as your username. The only numbers I have are my Student Ref Number and my C&G enrolment registration number neither of which the T4TS website recognise and you can't contact T4TS any other way at the weekend because their office hours are from Monday to Friday! Duh!😡🙁😕

 

[covkid]

Has anybody had the same problems as me with train4tradeskills there course adviser coming to your house telling you a load of lies to get you to sign up.then when you ask about going on your 1st practical you are told you have to pay £1000 first and then payed up in full before you can go on any more practicals.( i know my own fault i should have read the terms & condtions) also a 24 month course-35 month finance agreement ????????

 

[covkid]

if its trian 4 tradesskills check your t&c on the back of your enrollment form on what u have to pay before you go for practicals

hello i am in the same boat as you i have emailed bbc watchdog to see if they will take up the story of how t4t are ripping people off

dont use t4t they rip you off you have to pay£1000 before you go to your 1st practical and be fully paid up before you go on any others check there t&c

 

[arran123]

Re: train 4 trade skills feedback.

They do get you a work placement for nvq test if u cant find one yourself but its not a permanent job

 

[rfvpatlttp]

Re: train4 trade skills new starter

Can only assume you are replying to my posting but I am ALL PAID UP. PlumingSkill finance paid off.

Plumbob ATL sent me and all the student a list of local guest houses around Hedge End and the training centre, they varied in price. Practicals usually ran from 8 to 5 Mon to Fri.
Didn't need to book a guest house myself as I have a friend in Portsmouth who let me stop there for the week, thank God or I would be looking at £50 to £100 each visit plus travel costs getting there.
There were loads of guys from Wales on my training session so Midlands shouldn't be to out of the way and there were a lot of working Plumbers and Electrician turned up in their works vans on practicals and classroom sessions while I was there. Some working for firms and others had gone it alone.
The training I received there was good and passing the City&Guilds tests at the end of the week helped in building confidence, especially when the Certificates through the Post.
The practicals don't faze me in fact I look forward to them, I've already fit three bathroom suites, repaired a couple wc's, replaced leaking compression fittings with soldered joints, fit a couple kitchen sinks, plumbed in a dishwaher, drained and flushed radiators on a central heating system and fit a MagnaClean.
Make sure you buy your own JTL Plumbing books, they are invaluable, a pipe bender to practice at home and I can't remember who it was earlier but don't be put off by Summit Skills, they train school leavers at college and find some of them teaboy jobs with local Plumbers while they attend on day release. You get more practical training on real jobs in a 39Hr week on ATL plumbing practical than a school leaver attending college once a week.
Ps. Check out Learnatrade.co.uk How To Become A Plumber and their training aids and resources.
I think that will do for now.

 

[Alan.Ford]

Re: train 4 trade skills feedback.

I have just enrolled with T4T Skills last week and if they deliver everything they say then it will be great. It was the 2nd time someone came to speak to, me from T4T, the 1st time the salesman was a c*ck but this time he was more down-to-earth. Out of all the courses I looked at, this seemed the best value and they seemed to include more in their courses than some of the other companies. They don't do an 8 or 12 week intensive course but it's a little more like college where you study over 12 - 36 months but at home instead of in the school and you attend practical sessions and assessments. Like this, I believe, you have a better chance of learning as and remembering everything rather than having everything thrown at you in 2 or 3 months.

The saleman form T4T claims that they will place you with a qualified plumber for e few days after each course so you can be assessed and get some real life experience, if you cannot find a job on your own. Whether this happens remains to be seen as with everything else but lets not pre-judge.

I know it won't be easy (the studying or the work) but everyone has to start somewhere and even when you have worked in the industry for 50 years, I am sure you still learn stuff. I was in the glazing trade for 10 years and I used to come up against new window systems that I had never seen before which means you have to work it our for yourself. That's the same when you start a new career except it happens more often but if you approach it in the right frame of mind, I am sure you can work it out.

Good luck to everyone.

 

[david williams]

Re: train 4 trade skills feedback.

good luck alan.your attitude to learning at a longer time frame will pay of for you.

 

[Plumbpete]

Re: train 4 trade skills feedback.

Train4tradeskills NOT ANY USE IF YOU LIVE IN SCOTLAND. Salesman told me training in centre between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Told another scot, centre in Uddingston. Signed up as I could travel to pratical training. Nearest centre Featherstone near Leeds. No use if you cannot stay due to family/work commitments. Anyone else told centres in Scotland? so much for UK wide.

 

[Alan.Ford]

Re: train 4 trade skills feedback.

Thanks David, I hope so. I know there is no short cut to success and I aim to try and learn everything as thoroughly as possible and get a sound understanding of every aspect of Plumbing and Heating. Doing it over a longer period of time has go to be the best way I'm sure.

Cheers,

 

[anonplumber]

Re: train 4 trade skills feedback.

Train4tradeskills NOT ANY USE IF YOU LIVE IN SCOTLAND. Salesman told me training in centre between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Told another scot, centre in Uddingston. Signed up as I could travel to pratical training. Nearest centre Featherstone near Leeds. No use if you cannot stay due to family/work commitments. Anyone else told centres in Scotland? so much for UK wide.

YES! I was told it was at the same place and during my practicals i found a lot of people told the same thing.
A few people were staying at a campsite near featherstone and said that was cheap.

T4TS have let me down in too many ways to go into here but, I will say that alt featherstone were really good. The tutors have gone out of thier way to help. I have 2 of the tutors private email address at told that i can email them anytime for etra help.

Also there was a girl on the course from glasgow who is being given £300 a week travel expences to go to featherstone but, I believe she had a fight on her hands to get it.