courses for qualifications

[leebaz]

hi every one, im looking for advice on plumbing qualifications. Im a new gas engineer and im trying to do anything I can to help better my qualifications and to get the best understanding I can out of my new career choice. I have a basic knowledge of plumbing but im looking to 1, get the proof I can do this and 2, better my skills. the problem I have Is all the courses I can find only cover what I know and im not paying 1000s for a piece of paper saying im competent and im not getting into apprentices at im 27 with bills to pay.

cheers for help

lee

 

[Riley]

Assume you have no plumbing qualifications other than gas?

 

[leebaz]

The problem is. I don't want to pay the amount of money to teach me things i already know. Is there a way to prove my skills to get my qualification?

 

[Riley]

College is the best route mate. Maybe a night class. You won't get anywhere sadly without some on the job experience

 

[leebaz]

Damn. I was hoping there was another answer. As I've looked into them and the ones I have come across are a year long. The things we have to go through just to get a piece of paper to say you can do something! Cheers for the advise

 

[Riley]

There is nothing to say you can't work for/with someone while you learn. That way you'll be earning and gaining experience. There are obviously fast track options but often you come out with no more than you went in with qualifications wise

 

[leebaz]

I have been working for a plumber/gas engineer for the last year so I have learnt a fair bit with him. But It was only while I built my portfolio up to pass my gas. Now I am qualified he has no need for me so I wanted to get some qualifications to prove what I had learnt but with out the long winded night school or the stupidly priced fast track. I think it's just a case of persevering with a night school even though I know pretty much all of it just to have a qualification at the end of it

 

[Riley]

Speak to a college mate if you already have some experience some of them may be happy for you to move on to a higher level quicker. I believe some of them can use discretion on this. I would still recommend College as the best route to go though as you won't get any BS from them

 

[leebaz]

I think that's going to be my best bet and just persevere being taught what I already know lol thanks

 

[Toggles]

Hi

At 27 yrs, you get minimum wage applicable to your age, I know its not much but we have to speculate to accumulate sometimes in life. My suggestion, even at 27 you will qualify for an apprenticeship scheme funded by government (college claims the money back themselves) This wont cost you a penny. If you have your tech cert at level 2, you can do nvq as an 'on site ' only learner and complete this within a year, if you can do this, I would! At the end of your level 2 you can jump straight to level 3 and will be exempt from gas quals if you already have them.
Sadly, Industry needs qualified folk and today this generally means a full apprenticeship, you're only 27 with a 30/40 year career ahead of you, is 3 years really to much to invest in? You will quickly earn extra working weekend jobs with the lads, that's how I got through mine with low earning, time flew by, glad I did it and It paid off massively. Good luck to you

 

[leebaz]

I was always under the impression that your first year in an apprenticeship was still £2.93 or what ever it is and then it when up to national minimum wage....

 

[Toggles]

I was always under the impression that your first year in an apprenticeship was still £2.93 or what ever it is and then it when up to national minimum wage....

Hi Leebaz,
No That's all changed now, cant expect a 30 year old to survive on 2.93ph now can we ?? And it was identified that people above the average apprenticeship age were happy to do the apprenticeship route, in most cases it was the only way they can re train, hence the change to wage
Government brought it inline with minimum wage late last year I believe. Best way to check is to contact your local college and ask for the "Work Based Learning" department, they have all the relevant and up to date info including wage ok

 

[leebaz]

Thanks for that. I will look into that tomorrow. The only thing that put me ogf apprenterships was the wage. If what you say is true I'll take that root

 

[cr0ft]

Hi Leebaz,
No That's all changed now, cant expect a 30 year old to survive on 2.93ph now can we ?? And it was identified that people above the average apprenticeship age were happy to do the apprenticeship route, in most cases it was the only way they can re train, hence the change to wage
Government brought it inline with minimum wage late last year I believe. Best way to check is to contact your local college and ask for the "Work Based Learning" department, they have all the relevant and up to date info including wage ok

Not to the best of my knowledge it hasn't. Certainly last financial year it was perfectly legal to pay the apprentice rate to anyone, irrespective of age, for the first year of their apprenticeship.

https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

 

[lucas121]

I'm a 26 year old apprentice with bills to pay.

First year I was £3 an hour. Was extremely hard work, had to go out and get a second job or two. Did not enjoy that year at all, but a bit of hard graft and I'm now just above national minimum wage.

It is possible.

 

[LPC]

Unfortunately mate, courses won't do anything for you. I have no formal plumbing qualifications at all, never went to college (except to do my gas). Spent ~8 years working for a poor wage learning the trade from the bottom up. For the first couple of years all I did was fetch stuff from the van.
My apprentice just finished his level 2 at college and knows precisely f-all about the real trade. What you can learn at college is just theory/technical; you can learn that yourself with a bit of dedication and a book.

If you want to make it in the trade you need to work with someone and get experience.

 

[kay-jay]

Not to the best of my knowledge it hasn't. Certainly last financial year it was perfectly legal to pay the apprentice rate to anyone, irrespective of age, for the first year of their apprenticeship.

https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

only applies to those over 18 apprentices that are in their first year. subsequent years minimum wage applies.

 

[cr0ft]

That's what I said lol.