M
Makaveli
I am a painter & decorator with no previous plumbing experience and through the ever deteriorating situation within my trade have decided to move on and do a gas course and eventually become a gas engineer. So about a week ago i took sum time off and decided to find myself the right course and the right place to study it. To my astonishment I was overwhelmed by the mass of various courses, colleges, private study and prices available. Everyday I would spend hours scanning through so many courses ringing up for advice and just getting no where. I feel like i have finally come up with some conclusions that I would like to run by you as well as ask sum additional questions. Im sooooo glad to have finally found sum unbiased people I can speak to. So here it goes:
1) My 1st problem was deciding what course and accreditation to go for. There seemed to be 3 possibilities that would come up with different lengths and prices to go with, they were:
1 - Start with a NVQ2 Plumbing course, learning the basics for a year after moving onto level 3 Gas for a year and another year of work placement. Totaling to 3 year course for around £7-8000.*
2 - Do a Technical Certificate (C&G 6132) Level 2 for 48 weeks, 1 day a week along with NVQ Level 2 (C&G 6012) work placement in conjunction with the TC, preferably 4 days a week. This course is *15 months long for around £3700
3 - Do a Bpec course ranging from 20-30 days over 1 day a week with 15-20 week work placement, costing around £4000
For me I was never looking for a quick fix as this is sumthing that I will be taking seriously and want to learn the best I can. For this reason a Bpec i feel was not the right course. Most of the time its less than 1/2 the time of the C&G/NVQ and just feels like alot would be missing from it. I do appreciate that prior plumbing knowledge would be best an the 1st option the best but I am 29 now and just dont want to study for 3 years. Im also lucky enough to have a fully qualified Gas Safe Engineer as a cousin who has agreed to take me on and show me all he knows thus I feel i can do the 2nd option, gain sum plumbing experience thru him as well as all that follows.*
So after all my findings im here to ask you how u feel and your thoughts on:*
1. My option 2 course above, where I will be studying the C&G/NVQ TC for a year and abit along with being an apprentice to my cousin for the same duration eventually leading to the ACS test after. I am also very aware trade work is about doing and certificates only have so much weight so I will be working with my cousin for another year after the ACS gaining as much experience as possible. Totalin around 2-3 years.
2. What are your view on the West London Training Centre in Aldershot? Here is a link to the college and course:
[DLMURL="http://www.wlt-group.com/page.php?a=1&s=48"]Certificate in Domestic Natural Gas C&G 6132 | West London Training Courses: NVQ Level, Apprenticeships & Assessments: Gas Training[/DLMURL]
3. After 3 years of studying and working throught this route do u think I would be employable to the larger more established firms such as British Gas, EON etc.
Thanks alot in advance for any advice you may have and hope.
1) My 1st problem was deciding what course and accreditation to go for. There seemed to be 3 possibilities that would come up with different lengths and prices to go with, they were:
1 - Start with a NVQ2 Plumbing course, learning the basics for a year after moving onto level 3 Gas for a year and another year of work placement. Totaling to 3 year course for around £7-8000.*
2 - Do a Technical Certificate (C&G 6132) Level 2 for 48 weeks, 1 day a week along with NVQ Level 2 (C&G 6012) work placement in conjunction with the TC, preferably 4 days a week. This course is *15 months long for around £3700
3 - Do a Bpec course ranging from 20-30 days over 1 day a week with 15-20 week work placement, costing around £4000
For me I was never looking for a quick fix as this is sumthing that I will be taking seriously and want to learn the best I can. For this reason a Bpec i feel was not the right course. Most of the time its less than 1/2 the time of the C&G/NVQ and just feels like alot would be missing from it. I do appreciate that prior plumbing knowledge would be best an the 1st option the best but I am 29 now and just dont want to study for 3 years. Im also lucky enough to have a fully qualified Gas Safe Engineer as a cousin who has agreed to take me on and show me all he knows thus I feel i can do the 2nd option, gain sum plumbing experience thru him as well as all that follows.*
So after all my findings im here to ask you how u feel and your thoughts on:*
1. My option 2 course above, where I will be studying the C&G/NVQ TC for a year and abit along with being an apprentice to my cousin for the same duration eventually leading to the ACS test after. I am also very aware trade work is about doing and certificates only have so much weight so I will be working with my cousin for another year after the ACS gaining as much experience as possible. Totalin around 2-3 years.
2. What are your view on the West London Training Centre in Aldershot? Here is a link to the college and course:
[DLMURL="http://www.wlt-group.com/page.php?a=1&s=48"]Certificate in Domestic Natural Gas C&G 6132 | West London Training Courses: NVQ Level, Apprenticeships & Assessments: Gas Training[/DLMURL]
3. After 3 years of studying and working throught this route do u think I would be employable to the larger more established firms such as British Gas, EON etc.
Thanks alot in advance for any advice you may have and hope.
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