Applaince donations requierd for training center (Derby)

[Ready Steady Gas]

Hi,

I'm one of the technicians for Derby College building services.

I'm looking out for a balanced flue space heater, fan flued fire, and a DFE for our training area.

If anyone is decommissioning any of the above, donations of them would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Stigster]

Welcome to the forums.

Sorry I can't help you from my location but it's nice to see another college technician on here. As far as I know I'm the only one in that role on these forums.

 

[Ready Steady Gas]

Have you worked in FE for long? I've just moved from Nottingham College after 9 years to Derby for a change as well as doing my own jobs in evening and weekends.

I don't think I've ever met another plumbing technician, you must be as equally mad as me to persevere with the current generation of student lol

 

[Stigster]

I've been a plumber for 13 years now, general domestic plumber first and now the last 6 in the FE college here in Guernsey. There's only one trade school on the island so I'm the only plumbing technician I know. Very happy in the job and love my work. As it's a small place I split my time about 60/40 with the plumbing workshops assisting the foundation through to level 3 C & G courses, and working for the estates management team across three sites. That keeps my hand in the game at least. It's good varied work.

Last summer I installed a disabled wet room almost start to finish which was good to do. This summer I have a long list of dead legs to sort out from our legionella report. Maybe not the most interesting job but again I'll be out and about which I do enjoy from time to time. Also changing out blending valves for legionella control valves all over the place this summer break.

Sadly, what you say about working with the student of today is true, it can be frustrating. For every 10 students I reckon I would employ only 2 or 3 if I was running a business. The success stories make up for the bad ones though. We've had a few over the years who have basically failed at everything education had to offer until they got plumbing apprenticeships. Seeing them go from 16 years old, being in trouble, bad attitude, to successful employable plumbers is genuinely very rewarding.

I've rolled on (as I always do ) out of sheer excitement at meeting another college technician.

How is it up your end?

 

[Ready Steady Gas]

Wow, Guernsey is a bit out the way lol, although looks like a beautiful place to live, Id imagine most of the CH is all on LPG or oil there?

Local demographics definitely make a difference in regards to attitude, but they are all normally at a similar level of abilities as school leavers. you really do have to go right through the basics even with just measuring or using basic hand tools. I would agree that only a fraction of learners reach a level of quality where I would recommend them to an employer. more often then not some of the full-time learners have a better attitude than the apprentices.

I love the hand on training and sharing skills, to the ones that do want to be there, not so much the paperwork so I try to stay away from doing too much assessing lol. I top my money up with the odd weekend job.

I don't normally see much appreciation until they have been out on the tools on their own and a bump into them again in the merchants

 

[Stigster]

Yes, the town has mains gas. The rest is mostly oil and a few LPG installations here and there.

Interesting to hear that you are assessing. I am starting my level 3 TAQA in September. I've already done half the course but it all fell apart when our first lecturer went on maternity leave and the second one went off long term sick. Fortunately I've kept the work I already did so with some jiggery pokery I will be able to use all that again.

We've just signed off our current fourth years who are now qualified and one of them brought me an 8-pack of Grolsch yesterday to say thanks which was nice. They aren't all bad eh!

Good luck with your search for resource materials. Even if nothing comes up on that through the forums (it may well do though knowing this helpful lot here) I hope you'll stick around or check in occasionally as there is such an amazing amount of knowledge between the members and they are a helpful lot by nature. I've learned a lot by coming here.

All the best to you.

 

[chris watkins]

Hopefully you have got my PM re training centre which is closing if not let me know.

 

[Burger]

Hi,

I'm one of the technicians for Derby College building services.

I'm looking out for a balanced flue space heater, fan flued fire, and a DFE for our training area.

If anyone is decommissioning any of the above, donations of them would be greatly appreciated.

I haven’t got any, but this is a question for anyone who may do: how do we get them to you? Or would it just be local/so much mile radius?

 

[Ready Steady Gas]

Hello CBW, I was aiming for local donations ideally as I would still need to register my car yet with the college to claim fuel back (some insurance reason?) but I wouldn't mind collecting if it's from within a 10-mile radius anyway, breaks the day up a bit I decommission quite a few fires on weekends but I never come across those really anymore. the last power flued fire i saw was like 10 years ago on a social house contract. so if any rarer appliances pops up I could probably get permission from my manager to borrow a van from the estate's dept.

 

[Ready Steady Gas]

Hopefully you have got my PM re training centre which is closing if not let me know.

I don't think I received a msg, could just be me im still new to forums in general?

 

[chris watkins]

A training centre called InTAPlumb based in SE London is

closing down in July & have a lot of stuff.
I know it is a bit of a trot but give Peter or Neil a call if you think it is worth the drive, I was in there today & mentioned you might ring.
Plumbing Courses | Industry approved Training | Intaplumb - Based in Kent

 

[Ready Steady Gas]

That would be perfect, I will mention it to the coordinator tomorrow, might be able to so out a collection, id never make that far my self in a day, Skegvagas is my limit lol. Thank you, Chris,