Gas courses

[danny_090]

i would like some feedback on how to go about getting gas safe. i am already qualified in plumbing and want to do gas but dont know how to go about it. do i do a college course or a quick course.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Where are you in the country Danny?

 

[danny_090]

chester

 

[Ray Stafford]

OK - sorry, its a bit off our patch. We have a gas training centre, but it is in Portsmouth. Maybe one of the local guys can help.

 

[danny_090]

do you know how to go about it like 1st doing my core gas safety then ccn1 and that

 

[Ray Stafford]

If click on this link you can see the format that we use, which we only really recommend to existing plumbers.

The tricky bit is stage 2 (getting the portfolio), because it relies on finding a GSR who is prepared to work with you, and doesn't see you are competition.

We get round it because our partner who runs the training centre also has a fairly large GSR business, and he will take people through the portfolio as as well as the classroom stuff.

However, you shouldn't listen too much to me, because I will be biased, since we have an interest in a training business. Get unbiased advice from a few people, and then choose the way thats best for you.

 

[danny_090]

i can get work from a qualified gas fitter so hopefully i can get the ball rolling cheers for your help

 

[chris watkins]

Hi danny
Do you have an NVQ (Level 2 or 3) ?
If so you do not have to do the gas foundation however it would provide a good grounding in the theory side.
Have you worked with gas before ? (of course under the watchfully eye of a GSR engineer)

 

[danny_090]

Yes ive got nvq l2 in plumbing and level 3 tech cert. yes done loads of gas work also he will help me with my portfolio. I just dont know how to go about it

 

[chris watkins]

Yes ive got nvq l2 in plumbing and level 3 tech cert. yes done loads of gas work also he will help me with my portfolio. I just dont know how to go about it

You shouldn't need to do a portfolio as such just a log of the gas work you have carried out, depending on what areas you intend to work in i.e boilers, cooker, fires are the norm.
Because you have the NVQ you will go down as a Category 2 so you will need to show around 70 day's of gas work across the different areas, this will be address of job, some details of what you did & then details of the GSR engineer you were working under (he must have appliances tickets that you are saying you are working on) You really need to treat this as proper training & if at all possible work on as many fire & cookers as possible (not just boilers & pipework) otherwise you will find the CCN1 practical very hard & possible run out of time.
Go & see a few local training / assessment centres & ask them what they offer. The place I go, offers a 5 Days training + 2 Day assessment package this will be both practical & theory & it is just to get you up to speed to sit the ACS (CCN1) it is not going to teach you how to do a drop or smoke tests or the basic stuff.
You will have to do the CCN1 first which is the core gas safety & when you have that you can go back to sit what appliances you wish to work on.
Once you have both you can apply to join the GSR you will go on kind of probation until you have a visit from an inspector who will want to see a few job you are working on. If all is OK - Then it is on to the 5year merry-go-round of re assessment (just think of the money)
Hope that helps CW