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i was just thinking back to when i first did my my acs at chichester collage back in 2002 and can remember what the instructors first words to the class were." Don't worry about passing this course everybody does think of it as getting paid for having a week off " don't get me wrong the instructor was a great bloke. but being self employed missing a weeks work and spending nearly £700 at the time didn't make me laugh. as the week went on i got to know all the blokes on the course only 3 of us were paying ourself for the course. one was a really nice old bloke, who's joy in life was fixing boilers, you know the type when you go for lunch and your all sat around swapping boiler story's trying to impress everyone about how clever you are and how in depth your boiler knowledge is only by the end of the week your telling everyone the time it took 2 days to fix what turned out to be the reset button. had a great week but what impressed me the most was the knowledge of this old guy had on boilers. from really old, ideal standard type-e, wall mounted thorn emi cast iron boilers with the balanced flue that took a full day to fit. glow worm 35 my first fanned flue and my first combi imported chaffoteaux combi with just french instructions can't imagen trying to get away with that now. this guy new. to the latest models Worcester junior at the time. served his time as a plumber in the 60's now just wanting his corgi ticket to see him to retirement. servicing boilers. complete opposite to this young kitchen fitter who had done a intensive 12 week plumbing course got his nvq level 2 or something and sat there telling us story's like john guest blanks are great for capping of gas hobs when he was ripping out kitchens save having to light pilot on boiler and fire (really he thought he was giving us a good tip). well what happened was everyone did pass the course everyone except the old guy. just couldn't do the test. got about 15 questions wrong, instructor was with him over 2 hours with his oral. next day on cen1 every one was shocked. i'm not saying he should have passed, I'm just saying a guy who 3 month earlier hadn't a clue about plumbing passed still not having a clue. being able to pay £700 and remember what you read a few hours earlier, should not make you a gas engineer. i know things have tightened up since. and the old guy probably re-sat and passed. but back then taking time of work paying well over £1000 by the time i got my ticket and watching a guy pass who i wouldn't trust filling up a zippo lighter made me think was it beneficial or was it about the money, just not sure. and it doesn't help when you read the latest government report
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/.../1851/185105.htm
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/.../1851/185105.htm