Gas training

[rednip120372]

can any one help with this one! how can i get gas reg! i am 40 have been plumbing since i was 16 self employed for the last six years i have level three ,unvented,and water regs but cant get acs as cant get a portfolio together! i cant even get free work from a gas safe plumber to gain one as i think they think i will take there jobs once i have it! i dont know any one with it so have just called as many plumbers as i could all to no avail! so how can i get it any help would be great thanks

 

[GQuigley67]

you will find it hard as you are viewed as the competition

 

[Barry98]

you would be better of approaching someone outside your local area.

 

[rednip120372]

the think i hate about it is its a legal thing like you have to have a driving licence but there is no way to get it unless you pay for some six month expecive training thing its just a massive con i want to work legaly and i am happy to pay but need to pay bills feed kids etc cant do months of work with no pay plus my customers will go somewere else

 

[fuzzy]

6 month training? whats that for?

if youve got your advanced quals in plumbing this will reduce the amount of experience you need to provide

why do you think working with gas is licensed? do you feel its unfair to ask people to be rightly qualified and experienced to work on gas?

 

[GQuigley67]

it is hard to get your gas, i was lucky and managed to get it at college all payed for during my apprenticeship

 

[rednip120372]

not at all it seem to me a plumber like myself should have a way to gain it that does not involve paying a training company to find me a placement with a gas safe person ..to my mind that is what they do that is the six month bit thats the only way in i could find. i am a fan of compulsory training and think plumbing in general should be run the same way so only trained people can be plumbers its illegal to claim to be gas safe resisted but OK to claim to be a plumber!

 

[fuzzy]

if your only a plumber you will have no experience of gas so the placement is required for your experience. if you cannot get that working with other plumber/gas fitters then you have no option.
i dont think any of that is the fault of the gas safe register or the quals, and as you support training we agree it has to be there

 

[rednip120372]

My argument is not with gas safe they have laid down a requirement to gain membership and thats fine its the people that supply the training to meet there criteria that i feel take the Mick! i have called several training providers and you cant get the same answer as to what amount of evidence is needed.Some standardization needed maybe? i fell that as a qualified plumber my years of experience should count for something i agree i need training i agree i need experience but how can you gain any of this as a self employed person that is my argument!! "only a plumber"

 

[fuzzy]

your experienc eon pipework will count, but you have no gas experience to prove yet and there in lies the problem

it depends what quals you have, which exact quals do you hold, that will determine your catagory, 1, 2 or 3. that will affect the amount of experience required. plus each awarding body has slightly different interpretations, so when phoning round they may be working from slightly different data, it also depends which assessments you wish to do

 

[rednip120372]

I have NVQ level 3 in plumbing cant remember the number but both parts with proper on site assessments etc did it at chesterfield college gas work wise all i want to do is be able to fit boilers just get tied of passing central heating installation on! I understand it counts for nothing now but i did work before any gas registration was in force and have done shed loads in my younger days and to my knowledge never gassed anyone!

 

[fuzzy]

so you did it recently? it would have been craft and advanced craft when you started eh?

if you get a boiler job and pass it on do it under the proviso that you help and take a cut, problem solved

 

[rednip120372]

yes did it when i went self employed did c and guilds when i was younger but not advanced craft as it was then

 

[rednip120372]

in fact i started on a citb one that was fun with block release ha ha