B
blackcat
Hi there boys and girls,
Just wanted to introduce myself to the forum. I've been reading on here for quite a while over the last six months or so but very recently joined and thought I'd make my first post.
My name is Rich, and I am a 25 year old trainee plumber (I know I'm old) from North London. Like most Indians, I am the spawn of shopkeepers who worked 14 hours a day to put their kids through school and earn enough of a crust to survive. I went to school, college then university and graduated in aeronautical engineering a few years back. Lo and behold, the recession hit and with that so did my degree. I was always good with my hands and could always see the correlation between plane engines and boilers and the like. A few older cousins and family members retrained as plumbers and although its hard work and long hours, they all enjoy it.
For the past two years i've been working for a private development firm as a gofer for a few gas safe plumbers who have been fitting boilers from scratch, so first fix from the mains running all the pipes to the rads taps and boilers and then whatever second fix too. I have to say even though the money was worse than rubbish, its been the best time of my life because literally not any two days have been the same. For the past year however I have been working for my cousin with him doing boiler diagnostics and fault finding call outs which has been another eye opener.
Anyway recently I've been taking part in a course at Gas Logic to get my gas safe in place as i've had the experience on site. I've done the exams and apparently shown a good "sound base for plumbing" and more recently i've given my portfolio in so am just waiting on getting registered. Once I do, I plan on staying on where I am an apprentice for another 18months or so, whilst going on other manufacturer and any other courses that take my liking to cement my knowledge. I'd rather not rush the learning process, and build confidence in my own ability.
I just wanted to basically say, from what i've learnt from plumbing in general, is that, like anything you really want and want to succeed at, you have to work hard at it. If that means getting your backside out of bed in -1 weather and being outside the plumbers merchants at 6am then so be it. But personally i'd rather do that than the boring 9-5 in an office where all you can hear is keyboards tapping and phones ringing. I'm not stupid enough that all plumbers earn a huge wage, but, like any self employed people you can have good and bad years. More than anything else, its your lifestyle.
At the end of the day, you'll read a lot on forums and reviews of this or that and hear these idiots at training places telling you you can earn £200 per hour, but only you can actually make that decision about taking the plunge and being happy with your decision.
Lastly, I am so sorry for the rant, when I get started I can never bloody stop!
Thanks
Rich
Just wanted to introduce myself to the forum. I've been reading on here for quite a while over the last six months or so but very recently joined and thought I'd make my first post.
My name is Rich, and I am a 25 year old trainee plumber (I know I'm old) from North London. Like most Indians, I am the spawn of shopkeepers who worked 14 hours a day to put their kids through school and earn enough of a crust to survive. I went to school, college then university and graduated in aeronautical engineering a few years back. Lo and behold, the recession hit and with that so did my degree. I was always good with my hands and could always see the correlation between plane engines and boilers and the like. A few older cousins and family members retrained as plumbers and although its hard work and long hours, they all enjoy it.
For the past two years i've been working for a private development firm as a gofer for a few gas safe plumbers who have been fitting boilers from scratch, so first fix from the mains running all the pipes to the rads taps and boilers and then whatever second fix too. I have to say even though the money was worse than rubbish, its been the best time of my life because literally not any two days have been the same. For the past year however I have been working for my cousin with him doing boiler diagnostics and fault finding call outs which has been another eye opener.
Anyway recently I've been taking part in a course at Gas Logic to get my gas safe in place as i've had the experience on site. I've done the exams and apparently shown a good "sound base for plumbing" and more recently i've given my portfolio in so am just waiting on getting registered. Once I do, I plan on staying on where I am an apprentice for another 18months or so, whilst going on other manufacturer and any other courses that take my liking to cement my knowledge. I'd rather not rush the learning process, and build confidence in my own ability.
I just wanted to basically say, from what i've learnt from plumbing in general, is that, like anything you really want and want to succeed at, you have to work hard at it. If that means getting your backside out of bed in -1 weather and being outside the plumbers merchants at 6am then so be it. But personally i'd rather do that than the boring 9-5 in an office where all you can hear is keyboards tapping and phones ringing. I'm not stupid enough that all plumbers earn a huge wage, but, like any self employed people you can have good and bad years. More than anything else, its your lifestyle.
At the end of the day, you'll read a lot on forums and reviews of this or that and hear these idiots at training places telling you you can earn £200 per hour, but only you can actually make that decision about taking the plunge and being happy with your decision.
Lastly, I am so sorry for the rant, when I get started I can never bloody stop!
Thanks
Rich
