Doing a fast track gas courses with E-ON

[deanaston2002]

Hi Everyone

Im new to the site but willing to listen and get as much advice as possible. Im looking into doing a 10 week fast track gas course with E-ON. I have very little plumbing experience as I done my NVQ Level 1 in Plumbing 9 years ago. The course is 3 grand and sounds very good and cant imagine a company like E-ON to be cowboys. Has anybody done a course with E-ON or have any information for me.

Many thanks

Dean

 

[Gray0689]

What is a nvq level 1 never heard of it ??

 

[metaldust9]

just wonder how you,ll get a job with no plumbing experience as these days they go hand in hand ,and 3 grand is a lot to pay out seams to be lots of people doing this now with no plumbing i done it but had 7 yrs in the trade plumbing before i done my gas

good luck to ye tho

 

[deanaston2002]

Thanks yea I have very little plumbing experience. I was working along side a tiler years back when I left college. I can fit a bathroom, kitchen and do guttering an a few other basics but thats about the only experience I have. I Have friends who work for british gas an they reckon to skip the plumbing an go straight into doin your gas. I just want to get other peoples opinions aswell. NVQ Level 1 was what you used to do at college 8 years ago lol.

 

[metaldust9]

yep all well an good just doing your gas but what work you going to do ,servicing,landlord checks ect, i dont get much call for either boiler swaps you,ll ned to no about y plans s plans as ave said on here before taking tanks out ,what systems are what ,open vent ect where do ye live

 

[mikeygas]

Ditto what Mdust9 has said, I do mainly boiler and system installs as well as breakdowns. Don't do much servicing and landlords as there's loadsa people in Manc who will do them for buttons and not bother to do them properly as profit margins are tight.

Best to start back with your plumbing as you will need to know all about systems, also gas fitters can't use pipe benders for toffee!

only kidding gas guy's!

 

[AWheating]

having met many fast trac trainees and a few that were doing the e-on course you have mentioned i would ask you what do you think you will get from the course? if you think once you have done the course you will go straight into your own work? dont be fooled.

I worked for e-on and have trained many apprentices aswell as fast trackers, i would choose the apprentice way every time. One of my now best friends was a fast tracker, he trained with me while he did the course(3 months fully qualified gas), then got a job with us and stayed with me for a further 2 years at which point he went on his own. He is a good plumber/gas engineer now 4 years later. He will tell you most of his learning was the 2 years we worked together.

 

[deanaston2002]

Hey metaldust I live in Birmingham. Yea I know exactly what your saying mate. Im actually just waiting to hear off a local college at the moment to go sit my City an Guilds technical certificate level 2. If I dont get in there tho I dnt have many options really mate but to risk goin straight into doing my gas.

 

[deanaston2002]

Hey wheating im hoping it will open doors for me to be an apprentice for a big company such as BG, E-ON, National grid etc. I really would like to get in with a company. Im a hard worker and will put everything into getting qualified as i know there is not many other options out there for me. I wish I had stuck the plumbing out when I was younger but ended up going in the forces instead :-( Do people who sit the fast track course at E-ON ever get offered jobs at E-ON once qualified.

 

[AWheating]

not really, infact e-on is making many of its plumbers and heating installers redundant in the next 3 months. Big companies are not taking on trainees like they used to. e-on got rid of most of its apprentices as soon as the credit crunch hit.

 

[metaldust9]

all am saying is good luck to ye but think you,ll find it hard to get work and its a lot to pay owt, not tryin to put you off just think carefully cos its not all its cracked up to be no matter what the advertising says theres a ad every day on the radio saying earn 30 to 50 grand plus be a plumber am lucky to get 15 ad love to no where you can get it an ive paid out a fortune for van ,training ,tools ,insurance the list goes on my mate works at b gas and he,s rushed off his feet for peanuts for the hours he doesyou can go to collage for yrs but untill you do it yourself you,ll never learn all the little stuff you need to no and the tricks of the trade that help ye outfirst thing i do now when i look at a job is look at the meter to see what the gas main is in,ie lead or 15mm etc cos it can be expensive if ye miss it and have to buy a bundle of 22mm out ye profit

 

[unguided1]

If yer planning to just work for eon or bg you may as well just go on a course to do system flushes thats where these companies are making big profits!!!!!!!!!!

To be honest I am disgusted with this type of misselling of fast track courses they give people huge hopes of making big money but invariably they give people who have a lot of confidence, a little knowledge, and this is dangerous I feel that in the majority of cases these types of courses are a breeding ground for the best cowboys around. Saying that there are as in all cases a minority of people who go on to become excellent plumbers, gas fitters and heating engineers but I would say that these are few and far between

 

[lozza3k]

I started in gas first by doing the bpec gas course alothough i did have "some" plumbing ex. My gas was through my local college and didnt have to pay a penny so that was great but to be honest iv never worked with a bigger bunch of muppets in my life!!! I wouldnt want any of them coming to do my garden let alone do anything with gas in my house. There was only 2 people in the group myself and 1 other who had any idea. to date im the only one who sat ACS and passed with flying colours. Had my GS assesment done and they are happy with my work. Iv done a few installs all gone well but mainly my work is in servicing. Iv come across a few situations with gas/plumbing where simply i just dont know so iv told the customer im not too sure and they are happy with that and i leave my buddies card with them whos happy to take up the work.

 

[SimonG]

. Iv come across a few situations with gas/plumbing where simply i just dont know so iv told the customer im not too sure and they are happy with that and i leave my buddies card with them whos happy to take up the work.

Don't see that many times and I think thats the difference between a good plumber/gas engineer and a 'cowboy', maybe the wrong phrase but it is still early for a bank holiday, know your limitations and also to be able to say that to the customer. I don't mind saying 'sorry, know nothing about that, wouldn't want to touch it, but here's name and number of somebody that can'

 

[unguided1]

The important thing to remember with this trade is you never stop learning wether yer doing follow on courses or just doing every day work. As I have said before I have been an apprentice for 30 over years and I am still learning something new every day

 

[lozza3k]

yups thats my way of thinking as i love my gs card and im not wanting to lose it in a hurry lol. it works well as my mate passes service work to me as he hates it and all the tricky stuff wich he loves i pass to him. no shame in saying no can do. a big ego + no idea = a recipe for disaster

 

[metaldust9]

i met a lad in the merchants who,d past everything but couldnt do a spillage/flueflow test on a fire and what faults to look for which is a basic must and he was laughin about it but to me thats the most dangeroes thing going ,how he got thro i dont no cos what else doesnt he no ,,id been working with gas people and plumbing well before i ever done my acs plus i,d worked selling the stuff at city plumbing and other outlets as well plus chating to my mate who,s a bg engineer so i never went in blind it does suprise me that you can go in for it with no experience cos you dont get any second chances with gas if you make a mistake

ps deanaston2002 speak to villa tom on here cos he,s from your neck of the woods he mite no about work or places to get work