Gas portfolio East Midlands

[herbert]

I've been plumbing for 5 years and it's time to better myself. I want to attend night school to do the course but finding a gsr engineer willing to help is few and far between, The question is can anyone help me with my portfolio. I am in Nottingham but I'm flexible. Thanks in advance

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

If you can take a day out from earning per week then it might be worth your while asking a local housing association, or housing authority, if they utilise a DLO with an in house gas team.

 

[Killy Bing]

Look at travelling far out of your area.

no one wants to train competition

 

[herbert]

Look at travelling far out of your area.

no one wants to train competition

I pretty much thought this would be the answer. It makes doing a gas course the easy part it's getting the on site experience as the colleges don't provide the training unless you came to them with no qualifications like a school lever. So how did everyone else get there experience?

 

[Ermintrude]

Working my bum off! For free

 

[herbert]

Working my bum off! For free

Working my bum off for free is not the problem, I graft with the best of them!
The problem is a foot in the door

 

[Ermintrude]

That's normally how all of the 6 for us got started.

 

[herbert]

What I'm getting at is with even the best and hardest working attitude you could have. Gas qualification is not possible without working with a gas registered engineer so if no body is willing to help because of one reason or another what are you meant to do

 

[Killy Bing]

See, as i said travelling far out of your area, 2 hours maybe. Also friends who are gas safe.

I'm far more likely to train a friend than randomer Joe blogs because i know in the future i can use them and they will use me.

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

You can take any of the routes already mentioned, or you can pay one of the companies that specialise in providing portfolio evidence. You pay them around 1K for the privilege, but if you're working for someone else, and not being paid it could mean that it ends up costing you more. Depends on how long you work for free I suppose - and yes, I do know that you get paid in knowledge but as they say, time is money and every day you spend with a Gas Safe registered engineer that isn't paying you (Monetary value) could be costing you £200 or more depending on your hourly rate.
I'm not saying that either way is better, just that it's a kind of 'Horses for courses' thing in the end.
Being a registered OFTEC engineer with 26 years experience I already have a decent amount of knowledge but I still have to go through the process so I suppose in the end it all depends on what you want to get from the 'Evidence'.

 

[herbert]

I am still no further. This makes the qualification almost impossible. I can't get the hours needed for love or money

 

[REDSAW]

maybe!
are you self emp, what area do you cover in nottm?

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

I am still no further. This makes the qualification almost impossible. I can't get the hours needed for love or money

Just a thought but have you approached any of your local housing associations? They sometimes have a policy that provides for helping people get back into and this doesn't literally mean someone who is unemployed either.
I have just finished a placement with one such body who are aware of the difficulties that gathering evidence for a portfolio can bring and they are thinking of creating a 'program' for portfolio evidence seekers. Best thing of all is that you get to work with some great people who are experienced and you get a good understanding of what it's like to be a gas engineer because of the variety of people and residences that you encounter. I have worked in flats, houses, bungalows, and even a day centre (Commercial meter) so I goat a good grounding in my two weeks.
Yes I know that two weeks isn't enough but as I've said before I'm an OFTEC guy so for me it was just about gathering evidence that I am competent around gas. I could have spread it out over longer by not doing two whole weeks in a row, but that's the way I am - I dive in headfirst
It'll work for some but not for others I suppose.

 

[herbert]

Yeah I'm self employed. I go where ever is needed I'm about 5 mins from the m1 j25. I've been to both local housing authorities. It's not something they can help me with at the moment apparently

 

[REDSAW]

your in l.eaton then?
best pm me some details then co/name etc!!