Getting on a ACS course

[Plumb-pro]

Hi,

I'm looking to get gas qualified, i have been a self employed plumber for the last ten years and completed a 6129 course some 8 years ago. I have plenty of experience and do a lot of subbying work with a gas safe guy who will help me with my portfolio, my problem is most of the training centres that are sensibly priced want a nvq level 2 for entry which i dont have. The other option is 4 weeks gas training over a 6 month period with 140 hrs portfolio work. Is there a way around this without having to go through 6 months of Gas training or having to do a nvq 2...?

Thanks

James

 

[fuzzy]

you dont need nvq2 to do your acs, in fact you dont need any quals if you have enough experience

 

[Phil Stenning]

In short, No, its NVQ 2 or the other course you refer to, the IGC (intermediate Gas Certificate) go for IGC route, its quicker and will help you through the ACS.

 

[fuzzy]

to reiterate, you do not need any quals at all to do your acs

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Hi,

I'm looking to get gas qualified, i have been a self employed plumber for the last ten years and completed a 6129 course some 8 years ago. I have plenty of experience and do a lot of subbying work with a gas safe guy who will help me with my portfolio, my problem is most of the training centres that are sensibly priced want a nvq level 2 for entry which i dont have. The other option is 4 weeks gas training over a 6 month period with 140 hrs portfolio work. Is there a way around this without having to go through 6 months of Gas training or having to do a nvq 2...?

Thanks

James

Sounds like your not talking to the right people. This is where the qualification framework does not work. If you have 10 years experience and have access to a work mentor, then the college should be able to offer you a deal. I would be inclined to want to Accredit the NVQ2 (depending on evidence) and offer you a deal on the NVQ3 (which includes the ACS units).

This is how the original NVQs were supposed to work, and it is how current qualifications are supposed to work - ask the college about Accreditation of prior learning (APL), and about their policy on 'inclusion' - at the moment you are being marginalised and excluded.

However, you made need to reflect on what qualifications are about - an NVQ3, which you have suitable experience to pass, will open doors in the future - you have learned from not having an NVQ2, so put the time in now, to be ready when things pick-up.

 

[Phil Stenning]

you re right you dont, but most ACS centres i know of wont accept anyone in without nvq 2, or igc.

 

[fuzzy]

all acs centres should look at each applicant separately and make a judgement based on each category, 1, 2 and 3.

 

[Irish]

I did my acs last september and one guy on the course was doing it and he had absolutely no experience he didn't even know how to solder, the had to spend 2 days teaching how bend pipe, solder etc. The guy had a load of properties and said he was fed up of paying for cp12s so decided to do the 6 weeks acs course so no you don't need experience

 

[fuzzy]

I did my acs last september and one guy on the course was doing it and he had absolutely no experience he didn't even know how to solder, the had to spend 2 days teaching how bend pipe, solder etc. The guy had a load of properties and said he was fed up of paying for cp12s so decided to do the 6 weeks acs course so no you don't need experience

sounds like a cat 2 which still needs experience, just not as much as a cat 3

 

[Irish]

No he never touched a roll of solder before he started that course I couldn't believe it till I seen him trying to do stuff

 

[Plumb-pro]

y
~Thanks all,

The IGC course local to me is £2450 which anyone of the street can walk in to, where as the acs + 4 elements is £1150, but you need the entry criteria, i have heard of experienced people getting round this without the qualifications thats all.

 

[fuzzy]

No he never touched a roll of solder before he started that course I couldn't believe it till I seen him trying to do stuff

but if this was the gas foundation course that is fine

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Another way of achieving professional recognition is through a professional body.

CIPHE will assess your cpd, experience etc and will offer you equivalent status - if this is equivalent to NVQ2, then you would have the evidence to meet the centre criteria. I would think with 10 years plumbing experience you deserve more than NVQ2 equivalence.

Please stay in touch with this one, because if you can't get accreditation when you have been doing the job for 10 years, then you need to write to a trade mag.

 

[kirkgas]

to reiterate, you do not need any quals at all to do your acs

he knows that but has said he doesnt want to do the CAT 3, 6 month full time course which includes building a full portfolio

 

[kirkgas]

Hi,

I'm looking to get gas qualified, i have been a self employed plumber for the last ten years and completed a 6129 course some 8 years ago. I have plenty of experience and do a lot of subbying work with a gas safe guy who will help me with my portfolio, my problem is most of the training centres that are sensibly priced want a nvq level 2 for entry which i dont have. The other option is 4 weeks gas training over a 6 month period with 140 hrs portfolio work. Is there a way around this without having to go through 6 months of Gas training or having to do a nvq 2...?

Thanks

James

can you give a bit more detail, you have been a self employed plumber for 10yrs, and then did the 6129 8yrs ago, from that i take that you have been doing plumbing work for 10yrs without an apprenticeship qualification, then 2yrs in did the 6129, if thats the case you would need to do the CAT3 (6 months full time) course, as you dont have a recognised qual to be included in the 8-10 weeks CAT 2 course, this is in no way any reflection on the quality of work or your ethos or any other think personally to you, it is scheme rules (for bpec anyway) i have had guys come in to do the CAT2 course as they have been "plumbers" for 20 odd yrs, but they need proof in the form of quals, doesnt matter what jobs they can quote they have done, its out of our hands if they cant bring certs in, and i have confirmed in the past that the 6129 does not allow wntry to CAT2 as it is classed as a technical cert, based on theory with no site work, you obviously have 10yrs experience but 10 yrs work doesnt count im afraid

 

[kirkgas]

all acs centres should look at each applicant separately and make a judgement based on each category, 1, 2 and 3.

PLEASE REFRAIN FROM MAKING SOUND, INFORMATIVE, SENSIBLE COMMENTS, you will make the rest of us look bad, seriously we dont have the scope to do this, there is a set criteria and you have the right cert to be CAT2 or you are a CAT3

 

[kirkgas]

No he never touched a roll of solder before he started that course I couldn't believe it till I seen him trying to do stuff

not doubting you for a sec, but he could have been a CAT3 at the end of a 6month course, because pipe bending and soldering is part of the CAT3 training