Where can you go after plumbing nvq level 2 (self employed)?

[scottplumber]

Hi, Ive been plumbing a for a couple of years now not that long and just wanted to no how you go about getting your unvented ticket, core gas & water regs. since finishing my apprenticeship a few years ago and now started up on my own just doing plumbing and hanging rads etc i'd like to have a look into gas although i dont if you can do this unless your employed by a company. i was thinking about offering my services to a gas engineer for a few weeks so i can get the very basics and an understanding of what it involves any help always appreciated.

 

[SimonJohns]

do a serach

all info has been posted loads of times

 

[Napper]

experience is a good idea.

you can get all your tickets at an ACS training center they usually do water regs and the like.
if you are working with gas under a qualified engineer with an NVQ2 you could officially do a shorter course but goodluck finding a training company willing to provide it!

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Do an NVQ3, which you will need for the future, as things are going that way.

There are changes afoot with funding, so you may get this funded depending on your age.

When you ask at local colleges, they may not know this, because its recent policy change:

http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscor...374-skills-investment-statement-2011-2014.pdf

Scroll down to check tables

e.g.

Students undertaking a first full Level 3 qualification

Adults aged 19 up to 25​ ​

Full Funding

Full Funding up to age 24

 

[fuzzy]

but to do the nvq you need to be placed or employed. if your employed youll be on an apprenticeship which is co funded, therefore the employer is expected to pay a contribution, 50% could easily be a few thousand pound or more

 

[REDSAW]

you did well to do your apprenticeship in 2 years.

 

[Napper]

I did nvq2 at night school and found it tedious. The content could have been condensed or would have been nice to be able to progress at a better rate. I also found the requirement for numeracy and literacy training a little insulting.
It may have been just the college i went to but wouldnt consider NVQ3 (am i right to think you still have to do ACS tests after NVQ3?)


I also thought that direct ACS route could have been more thorough!

Im just fussy I guess.

 

[Deleted member 25704]

but to do the nvq you need to be placed or employed. if your employed youll be on an apprenticeship which is co funded, therefore the employer is expected to pay a contribution, 50% could easily be a few thousand pound or more

Going off the economic figures for unemployment, the need for skilled labour to kick start the renewables industry and the fact that this market is not being taken up by sufficient numbers in the BSE sector...then this is a policy aimed at the unemployed, or those wanting to enter the industry.

So would colleges turn people away when they have spent millions on expanding their facilities to deal with large volumes of training?

I think those self employed or unemployed as plumbers without NVQ3 will be welcomed with open arms on this.

In addition, licence to practice is inevitible for plumbing, so NVQ3 will help meet the minimum technical competency MTC laid down by summitskills.

The target skills need laid down by the government policies are intermediate skills (NVQ3), so sooner or later all those who completed NVQ2 will be expected or encouraged to do NVQ3, to brings us into line with skill levels across Europe.

If people are being turned away from NVQ3 because they do not have an employer, this would really surprise me.

I would be interested to know if NVQ3 requires an employer - if so, then why are people doing them without employers (those converting tech certs to NVQs) or are there stricter rules for the QCF/NVQ.

 

[fuzzy]

Going off the economic figures for unemployment, the need for skilled labour to kick start the renewables industry and the fact that this market is not being taken up by sufficient numbers in the BSE sector...then this is a policy aimed at the unemployed, or those wanting to enter the industry.

So would colleges turn people away when they have spent millions on expanding their facilities to deal with large volumes of training?

I think those self employed or unemployed as plumbers without NVQ3 will be welcomed with open arms on this.

In addition, licence to practice is inevitible for plumbing, so NVQ3 will help meet the minimum technical competency MTC laid down by summitskills.

The target skills need laid down by the government policies are intermediate skills (NVQ3), so sooner or later all those who completed NVQ2 will be expected or encouraged to do NVQ3, to brings us into line with skill levels across Europe.

If people are being turned away from NVQ3 because they do not have an employer, this would really surprise me.

I would be interested to know if NVQ3 requires an employer - if so, then why are people doing them without employers (those converting tech certs to NVQs) or are there stricter rules for the QCF/NVQ.

but you cannot upgrade a tech cerrt to nvq without working in the industry, it is not possible, the nvq is the on site evidence, no college work required thats all tech cert.
so colleges will not enrol studnets on a course they cannot pass, they would be shut down and refused future funding

 

[fuzzy]

I did nvq2 at night school and found it tedious. The content could have been condensed or would have been nice to be able to progress at a better rate. I also found the requirement for numeracy and literacy training a little insulting.
It may have been just the college i went to but wouldnt consider NVQ3 (am i right to think you still have to do ACS tests after NVQ3?)


I also thought that direct ACS route could have been more thorough!

Im just fussy I guess.

ACS is not a training course, the NVQ and associated TC is. the ACS is effectively a competence persons scheme. so you should be either previously competent or almost to do your acs, its not for newbies
you can do acs with no quals whatsoever
literacy and numeracy is a government thing, nothing colleges can do about it, you dont pass them you dont pass the full course

 

[Deleted member 25704]

but you cannot upgrade a tech cerrt to nvq without working in the industry, it is not possible, the nvq is the on site evidence, no college work required thats all tech cert.
so colleges will not enrol studnets on a course they cannot pass, they would be shut down and refused future funding

Thanks for this fuzzy

So is it possible to convert a tech cert to an NVQ if you are an adult and working self employed?

I have heard on this forum that many students have done bathrooms and small jobs for neighbours, friends and family, in order to attain their 'on-site' aspects of the NVQ, which ammount to between 2-4 observations at work. I appreciate they have to fill out portfolio, but I believe that this is mainly concerned with health and safety.

 

[Napper]

ACS is not a training course, the NVQ and associated TC is. the ACS is effectively a competence persons scheme. so you should be either previously competent or almost to do your acs, its not for newbies
you can do acs with no quals whatsoever
literacy and numeracy is a government thing, nothing colleges can do about it, you dont pass them you dont pass the full course

i agree with the ACS description, however it is a requirement that training centers offering ACS exams also provide training.
many do so for new entrants too.
NVQ2 and a portfolio of work is sufficient to show a level of experience and class as cat2.
I woud have loved to do my NVQ3 but at my college it would have been a joke so opted for pure ACS route.
(altho it was after 5years of working as a plumber and apprentice gas eng!)

when it comes to the literacy requirement, I had 10 gcse's a-c with As in maths but as they were over 5 years old i still had to do numeracy etc
surely a quick test could have got me out of a whole load of waisted time?
when going to college after a long day at work it was a bit much to stomach!

 

[fuzzy]

i agree with the ACS description, however it is a requirement that training centers offering ACS exams also provide training.
many do so for new entrants too. but you cannot sit the ACS as a new entrant without experience on site so the training is nice but is misleading if people think its for newbies. The ACS training is normally 4 or 5 days, hardly neough for a newbie!
NVQ2 and a portfolio of work is sufficient to show a level of experience and class as cat2. the NVQ2 is sufficient to make you a cat 2 entrant
I woud have loved to do my NVQ3 but at my college it would have been a joke so opted for pure ACS route.
(altho it was after 5years of working as a plumber and apprentice gas eng!)

when it comes to the literacy requirement, I had 10 gcse's a-c with As in maths but as they were over 5 years old i still had to do numeracy etc
surely a quick test could have got me out of a whole load of waisted time? they could have given you a quick test which may have told them that you have the skills, however that isnt accepted only the key skills at l2 if GCSE more than 5 years old. Not the colleges fault
when going to college after a long day at work it was a bit much to stomach!i agree, but what can we do? others set the rules, we either do as they require or dont pass

see bold points above

 

[fuzzy]

Thanks for this fuzzy

So is it possible to convert a tech cert to an NVQ if you are an adult and working self employed? yes

I have heard on this forum that many students have done bathrooms and small jobs for neighbours, friends and family, in order to attain their 'on-site' aspects of the NVQ, which ammount to between 2-4 observations at worknormally 4. I appreciate they have to fill out portfolio, but I believe that this is mainly concerned with health and safety.bit more than that im afraid and suppose to be over a peiod of time as opposed to a couple of jobs and photos, i think some have done this but its more of a loop hole than the quals intention

see bold points


remember though, theres little funding available, if you want apprenticeship funding youll need to be employed

 

[Deleted member 25704]

see bold points


remember though, theres little funding available, if you want apprenticeship funding youll need to be employed

Thanks again fuzzy

I have glanced, some time ago, at the NVQ2 site portfolio and it seems pretty basic to me - 1.5m of pipework minimum. I would be interested to know if this has changed.

If apprentices have to be employed, then it would be beneficial for self employed plumbers (entrants) to be limited companies, then they would be able to employ themselves as an apprentice, and draw down the government funding for themselves - may even be a grant in it at the moment.

 

[fuzzy]

the part an assessor must see is minimal, but its unlikely that the assessor will see that exact point when he arrives, it is expected the assessor sees a range of work and that being 1, they just set minimal standards to give flexibility. It does appear to be that some trainers/workers see it as a small amount, i think the people who designed it did it with good intentions to give flexibility. Other work can still be direct observed but if not can be write up or photos, direct obs preferred.

not sure how it would work self employed, may be a funding loop hole or may have it plugged, as all your work is suppose to be supervised its not really how its intended, doesnt mean there wont be a way round it but im not sure

cheers clanger