Training Courses

[jase158]

Starting to feel confident in Gas and want to go ahead with the course,

My local college don't do any form of gas and just wondering which centres people have used and that have been good.

I dont mind travelling for 10 weeks but it needs to be a good one that wont scam me of my money.

And for all you long time Gas engineers out there don't panic, my plan is

1. Do Gas course
2.Work for a gas engineer (possibly for free if must) for as long as possible until I feel confident on Gas
3.Become gas safe
4. do more work for free
5. Do Boiler manufacturers courses
6. When finnaly feel confident, I will start adding it as a service to customers, not before.


I aint expecting it to be fast, just think it is time to start on it.

 

[mountainman]

If you are starting to feel confident in doing gas work then you must have missed something vital.

 

[GQuigley67]

find a decent place that will put you on placement and possibly get you a start once you finish your course. My old company had a deal with the college where they took on adult trainees for 6 months only have to pay half of their wages college paid other half, and if they are any decent give them a job after the 6 months, plumbers mates rates is what they got paid.

 

[jase158]

find a decent place that will put you on placement and possibly get you a start once you finish your course. My old company had a deal with the college where they took on adult trainees for 6 months only have to pay half of their wages college paid other half, and if they are any decent give them a job after the 6 months, plumbers mates rates is what they got paid.

But what happens to my business for 6 months? And where do I go to get this, nearest college to me that does gas is 60 odd miles. So 60 miles travel every day on basic wage, supporting wife and child, whilst also loosing all my current customers, not really an option!! There are so many people on here that have done the training centre route, can nobody reccomend a good one?

 

[GQuigley67]

dont think your placement is 6 months im talking about after your ACS etc, gets you the experience. Still going to have to work for someone to gain experience for a while so may have to do weekends/evening work for your own customers.

 

[jase158]

Sorry I think you are missing the point, I am at stage 1, finding somewhere that will not rip me off, get me doing pointless assessments which are not needed, fail me for the smallest of reasons, so that they can charge me for retakes and one that is actually legitimate. I am not lookidvice on how to do it or which route to take, I don't mean to be rude but I have looked it up, researand know which route I want to take. Just want to know which training centres (if any) are good

 

[GQuigley67]

im not missing the point only giving some advice mate can't answer your question though

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

try this
Home | BPEC

but as GQ said, it will take more than 10 weeks to do it. You might need to travel 100 weeks to college but harder part will be finding somebody who will take you on to gain some experience and sign your portfolio.

 

[Simon F]

Starting to feel confident in Gas and want to go ahead with the course,
My local college don't do any form of gas
I dont mind travelling for 10 weeks but it needs to be a good one that wont scam me of my money.
I aint expecting it to be fast, just think it is time to start on it.

:driving:..if your willing to travel that far surely there must be another college other than the one you currently attend that covers gas.
It used to take me about 35minutes to get to college.:wink5:
joking aside is there not another college anywhere close to you?

 

[jase158]

100 weeks?

I have spoken to several colleges and they all say the ACS college part can be done in 4 weeks. Where is 100 weeks?

The workplace part is the longest part, from my research it is varied between a certain amount of hours (100 to 200)
to 5 of each of 5 applaince of each type (bolier, cooker, meters i.e.)

What i am saying is that i do not care what other plumbers say or think about me being a "fast tracker" I dont care about doing it at a training centre and "robbing all the work" off of quality time served plumbers and I definetly don't care about not being able to get a job. Simply put, I get such a job satisfaction from my job and want to complete it and be a fully qualified plumber in the eyes of family and friends (not another plumber).

I am not stupid and do not expect the course to teach me everything, but there are other ways of getting experience.
Where there is a will there is a way. Never give up and all that

As there is a different person on this forum every week ranting and raving about training centres I thought i would see if anybody could reccomend a good one, so that I can look at it.

 

[jase158]

According to that link, 30 miles there and 30 miles back.

Thats 60 miles or £60 a week on fuel, with minimum wages, plus rent, bills, food, phone and all the rest. Not realistic to be doing it for too long.

 

[secret squirrel]

Chill out mate :44:

I think you take peoples posts to your queries way to personally, trouble is at the distance of a keyboard it is very difficult to gauge someones answer to your question.

No one on this thread has slated you for being a fast tracker and in general (as a fast tracker myself, now 3 years at running my own company) I don't think many people care about fast trackers either way.

Who does your gas work now? If you have a problem with a boiler who do you call?

This is where you are probably going to get your gas training and work experience. I have a very good friend and I pipe up the boilers when we work together, he checks it I commision it, he checks it and signs it off.

Unfortunately, being fast trackers and working on your own we can't have it all, its a nightmare, your either working or on courses that is the way of it. If your on a course and you loose a customer then thats tough.

If you can't afford to do the gas because of poor wages then again, tough, this is the way of the trade and coming into at an older age.

You don't have to respond to every post people put up, you get more and more annoyed from reading your replies :19:

 

[jase158]

not annoyed at all, just trying to get my point across.

 

[mountainman]

Seems he does have to reply to every post SS.

 

[jase158]

Seems he does have to reply to every post SS.

no I dont! :banghead:

 

[jase158]

Chill out mate :44:

I think you take peoples posts to your queries way to personally, trouble is at the distance of a keyboard it is very difficult to gauge someones answer to your question.

No one on this thread has slated you for being a fast tracker and in general (as a fast tracker myself, now 3 years at running my own company) I don't think many people care about fast trackers either way.

Who does your gas work now? If you have a problem with a boiler who do you call?

This is where you are probably going to get your gas training and work experience. I have a very good friend and I pipe up the boilers when we work together, he checks it I commision it, he checks it and signs it off.

Unfortunately, being fast trackers and working on your own we can't have it all, its a nightmare, your either working or on courses that is the way of it. If your on a course and you loose a customer then thats tough.

If you can't afford to do the gas because of poor wages then again, tough, this is the way of the trade and coming into at an older age.

You don't have to respond to every post people put up, you get more and more annoyed from reading your replies :19:

It is a little frustrating when you don't get the answer you are looking for, but instead a lot of answers abut something totally different, but I am a stubborn git and will keep looking. I am the sort of person that feels I do not get my point across well and this is extremed in this forum as every time you try to explain yourself, somebody else will pick a fault with what you write, but I am in the start of my journey and all comments have been taken on board.

 

[secret squirrel]

It is a little frustrating when you don't get the answer you are looking for, but instead a lot of answers abut something totally different, but I am a stubborn git and will keep looking. I am the sort of person that feels I do not get my point across well and this is extremed in this forum as every time you try to explain yourself, somebody else will pick a fault with what you write, but I am in the start of my journey and all comments have been taken on board.

Love it, I've had 2 replies to my one post.... beat that :30:

 

[mountainman]

no I dont! :banghead:

Oh yes you do!

 

[fuzzy]

100 weeks?

I have spoken to several colleges and they all say the ACS college part can be done in 4 weeks. Where is 100 weeks?

The workplace part is the longest part, from my research it is varied between a certain amount of hours (100 to 200)
to 5 of each of 5 applaince of each type (bolier, cooker, meters i.e.)

What i am saying is that i do not care what other plumbers say or think about me being a "fast tracker" I dont care about doing it at a training centre and "robbing all the work" off of quality time served plumbers and I definetly don't care about not being able to get a job. Simply put, I get such a job satisfaction from my job and want to complete it and be a fully qualified plumber in the eyes of family and friends (not another plumber).

I am not stupid and do not expect the course to teach me everything, but there are other ways of getting experience.
Where there is a will there is a way. Never give up and all that

As there is a different person on this forum every week ranting and raving about training centres I thought i would see if anybody could reccomend a good one, so that I can look at it.

think you may be missing the point, the acs is for experienced plumbers and not designed to be fast track. yes the days in college can just be a handful, doesnt mean there isnt much to learn, it makes the assumption you already know a lot

 

[jase158]

the only thing that I want to add to that is that the college all say it is approxiamately 10 days, training centre says 10 days.

So how can fast track be any different from the college?

And how is fast track a fast track when it takes the same amount of time either way?

 

[fuzzy]

the only thing that I want to add to that is that the college all say it is approxiamately 10 days, training centre says 10 days.

So how can fast track be any different from the college?

And how is fast track a fast track when it takes the same amount of time either way?

ill try to explain.

The ACS is a course for experienced and/or qualified gas fitters (or related trades) It is only the safety aspects of gas and is not designed to train people to be gas fitter, a common misconception.

Therefore 10 days for somebody with skills and experience is reasonable to check they are aware of the safety aspects.

I think he term 'fast track' refers to somebody who wants to do the course with no or minimal qualifications and experience. Often thinking this is some type of gas installation course. Even if successful it will not prove or teach competence to install or maintain but only that you can work safely and ensure appliances are safe to use.

in addition, the 'work placed element' as you put it isnt something designed by the qual such as an NVQ. It is only there to attempt to stop chancers to bluff their way onto the course. If you have an old gas C&G you dont need any evidence as you have proved competence in the past. It is there for the people who have worked in the industry for years but without full quals, it gives them an opportunity to become legal. This evidence point has been confused with being part of the course, it isnt meant to be like that

 

[jase158]

yeah and if you read my original Post I said i am looking to gain experience first, then do the course, then get more experience, go on the manufacturers courses and then go it alone,

My aim is 2 years before I go it alone.

 

[fuzzy]

yeah and if you read my original Post I said i am looking to gain experience first, then do the course, then get more experience, go on the manufacturers courses and then go it alone,

My aim is 2 years before I go it alone.

i dont doubt it, but i like to take the opportunity to iron out any misconceptions if i can

 

[jase158]

And after my original post i spoke to several plumbers in my area and a few are going to get back to me, so might go to college if they offer me some sort of position.

 

[fuzzy]

good luck