Training as a plumber ?

[D34N]

Hi everybody quick few questions on this trade .

Im 28 years old and plumbing has always appealed to me as a career along with being a sparky im trying to gather as much information on both these courses.

anyway obviously im wanting to find out the plumbing side of things fro you guys.

This isnt to become self employed my aim would be to get on with a company to start with.

For a start is being 28 yrs old a silly time to start training (companies only wanting school leavers ? )

The costs- would i need an employer to employ me to pay the fees i need to get on a plumbing course ? or do the universitys/colledges enroll you regardless ?

Also im unemployed now since jan 1st so would be able to study on a full time basis how long would one of these courses last approx ?

Thanks for reading lads

please reply with some info if you get a minute

cheers :wink_smile:

 

[MrMeek]

its never to late to start. employers SHOULD pay the fees but try and find a company thats actually taking on people is a real challenge.

from my experience dont go with company's go with a sole trader as its one on one and imo self employed lads do work better (the good ones that is).

Your best bet is going with a self employed lad to learn better and more, enrolling on the level 2 program and pay the course your self as it will be hard to find an employer to pay for it, and if need be work for free to get the course done.

then after all this even when you complete your nvq 3, I would go down the self employed route.

thats your best bet imo

and welcome

 

[D34N]

its never to late to start. employers SHOULD pay the fees but try and find a company thats actually taking on people is a real challenge.

from my experience dont go with company's go with a sole trader as its one on one and imo self employed lads do work better (the good ones that is).


Finding

Your best bet is going with a self employed lad to learn better and more, enrolling on the level 2 program and pay the course your self as it will be hard to find an employer to pay for it, and if need be work for free to get the course done.

then after all this even when you complete your nvq 3, I would go down the self employed route.

thats your best bet imo

and welcome

So how would i go about the level 1 i must need this before the level 2 yes ?

Yeah i was thinking finding a self employed plumber would benefit me more & working for free is no problem at all tbh.

thankyou mrmeek

 

[MrMeek]

Level 1 is for people that just leave school or really really thick people, thats why I did it lol, you should deffo get onto the level 2 if you have an employer first thing first find someone to work for 🙂

 

[D34N]

Yes well i aint the brightest tbh so could do with the level one , think im going to arrange an appointment tommorow to speak with an advisor about electricial & plumbing courses .

do you have any idea how much the level 1 & 2 would cost at a proper skills academy/colledge ?

cheers

 

[MrMeek]

Yes well i aint the brightest tbh so could do with the level one , think im going to arrange an appointment tommorow to speak with an advisor about electricial & plumbing courses .

do you have any idea how much the level 1 & 2 would cost at a proper skills academy/colledge ?

cheers

I would ask your college mate and I seriously doubt you need the level1 it means nothing, and you have to do the exact same stuff on level 2 just with tests no point really, ask your college about prices also ask about funding you may be able to get a grant of some sort or ask them about JTL they could put you through the entire course for free.

 

[D34N]

Okay great

going today to try and meet an advisor


thankyou

 

[Simon F]

electricial & plumbing courses .
do you have any idea how much the level 1 & 2 would cost at a proper skills academy/colledge ?cheers

As said speak to the staff at college to get the best advice local to you.
if your currently unemployed I should think the course would be fully funded,
the issue is that if you are not employed in the trade then you would only be doing the technical certificate not the NVQ
( or whatever the equivalent is now )
courses would likely be starting in september??
hope your appointment gives you the direction you need and gets you started out.

 

[petercj]

Hi everybody quick few questions on this trade .

Im 28 years old and plumbing has always appealed to me as a career along with being a sparky im trying to gather as much information on both these courses.

anyway obviously im wanting to find out the plumbing side of things fro you guys.

This isnt to become self employed my aim would be to get on with a company to start with.

For a start is being 28 yrs old a silly time to start training (companies only wanting school leavers ? )

The costs- would i need an employer to employ me to pay the fees i need to get on a plumbing course ? or do the universitys/colledges enroll you regardless ?

Also im unemployed now since jan 1st so would be able to study on a full time basis how long would one of these courses last approx ?

Thanks for reading lads

please reply with some info if you get a minute

cheers :wink_smile:

Your age is likely to be an advantage when it comes to getting employment (all other things being equal to a college trained school leaver). Employers want mature people who can get up in the morning and are dependable, and have the general life and social skills that compliment any job that involves working with the public, particularly in their own homes.

You don't say what you have been working at since school, but the chances are that you will have some transferable skills that will stand you in good stead for a career in plumbing. Make a list of those skills, e.g. which could be: face to face contact with the public when providing a service; keeping written records; using a computer; driving licence (hopefully clean, mention it, if it is); good time keeping,etc, and of course a list of any practical skills you have gained formally or through being self taught.

You'll need a CV, i.e. one page of A4 that gives basic Personal Details about you: name, age, address, and contact details. Keep it simple.

A section for Education and Training: what, where, and when, and what qualifications were awarded. Again, keep it simple, but put down any certificates that show achievement, academic or otherwise.

Then a section headed Work Experience: when, what, where, etc. No negatives - if you got the sack, don't mention it.

Finish off with a short paragraph about your interests and why you have decided to take up a career in plumbing.

Keep everything positive, and don't put your self down by saying things like: "I ain't the brightest!"

Don't criticise ex-employers, or get into how useless your teachers were at school.

If you don't know something the answer is: "I don't know, but I'm willing to learn".

Your local FE college will have advisers on funding, also worth speaking to Job Centre advisers if you are currently unemployed. You can pay for FE courses yourself, but they are quite expensive these days, so look into every aspect of funding.

Once you have sounded out the funding, ring the college and ask to speak to a senior tutor on the course - best done near the end of the teaching day when you might catch them in the staff room. Tell them of your interest, and ask if there is any chance of you going in to look round the teaching facilities, which will be a good opportunity to get some advise on the best starting point for you - take your CV with you.

Good luck.

 

[D34N]

I just got back from the colledge unfortuanetly there wasnt an advisor but the receptionist took about half an hour with me explaining much of what i needed to know from a advisor/lecturer.

I can get full funding from the job centre apparently if i was signing on which im not im currently on the sick after a crash.

So its either stay where i am on the sick until april which is when you can get your name in for the course then sign on a couple of weeks before to get the funding and put my name down or its trying to survive on probably minimum wage until april or september and saving up about 3000 and having to pay for it myself which i probably wouldnt save 3grand by april anyway , im quite surprised the job centre even put people through this i would be ****ed if i was somebody who earns honest money and paid there way into the course and the jobless get it paid for :/ .

Could you explain the nvq & the technical certificate differences because she didnt mention this ?


cheers lads

 

[petercj]

You can't sign on as unemployed when doing a full-time educational course, and the Government scrapped training grants for people over the age of 21 some time back. So whereas unemployed people might get their course fees paid, they won't get anything to live on!

NVQs are workplace qualifications, and although colleges have been using them on full-time college courses, they should have stopped by now and switched to other certificates, such as C&G.

If it's an apprenticeship, or if work placements are involved, then NVQ's could be appropriate.

Chris Watkins is your best bet for up-to-date details on the various certificates - no doubt he will be around later.

 

[D34N]

I think i could get by one way or another on low funds afterall its something im super headstrong about doing and at my age now i dont want to wait any longer .

The lady said they definetly get students coming in funded hopefully shes right

thanks for your help

 

[MrMeek]

I think i could get by one way or another on low funds afterall its something im super headstrong about doing and at my age now i dont want to wait any longer .

The lady said they definetly get students coming in funded hopefully shes right

thanks for your help

look into jtl for funding

 

[plum ber]

Do your research on Google about any private training provider and if your going to go private T4TS OLCI ect read old threads on here before you sign up and ask questions a plenty!!!

 

[petercj]

I think i could get by one way or another on low funds afterall its something im super headstrong about doing and at my age now i dont want to wait any longer .

The lady said they definetly get students coming in funded hopefully shes right

thanks for your help

Will be under 21's, or apprentices, in the main.

There should be someone in students services at the College who will have all the info you need - the tutors may not know, or will prefer to leave it to the appointed person.

 

[D34N]

Okay great thanks