Where does the withdrawal of 6189 courses leave me?

[Ric2013]

Been stuck abroad for a year now. Still stuck abroad. Italian red tape is, as they say, 'something else'. I used to think regulation was about protecting people, and often it is, but not over here. Mad country, not sure how it functions at all. They ask you to provide government mapping data to put your name onto a water bill, presumably to check the house hasn't been moved to the other side of the road or something. The Italian Government is now introducing a free lottery for anyone who buys something and gets a till receipt. Which, of course, means all the shops have to pay to have their tills modified (second modification this year). Yet I seem likely to be here for at least another two months and not just due to the pandemic making travel inadvisable.

Which means I'm a bit out of touch as far as UK plumbing goes. Last I was in the UK, I was a self-employed plumber qualified to 6189 NVQ Level 2 in Plumbing and Heating. and hoping to eventually progress to Level 3, possibly. But possibly not, as I'm not especially interested in gas or oil and few colleges covered the other options. It made no sense to try to do a qualification requiring a portfolio in work activity that I didn't actually undertake, nor especially want to undertake and even the head of my college's plumbing department (who really wanted me to do level 3) accepted it probably wasn't in my interest at that time for this reason (he could only offer me oil).

Does anyone know what the value of the NVQ 2 is likely to sit at? I notice HETAS solid fuel courses no longer list NVQ2 as a valid option as a pre-requisite, though the OFTEC courses still appear to. I'm concerned my qualification is becoming obsolete and wondered whether those with more experience than I have could comment on what tends to happen with these legacy qualifications.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Aquarius]

Sorry Ric, what exactly are you wanting to know? If your qualified in 6189, then should still be relevant. Are you wanting to progress onto something higher up, but not gas?

 

[Ric2013]

Sorry Ric, what exactly are you wanting to know? If your qualified in 6189, then should still be relevant. Are you wanting to progress onto something higher up, but not gas?

Yes, basically. I read elsewhere on UKPF that 6189 courses had been withdrawn and that new courses did not have a stepping point at level 2, so my option to do level 3 6189 may have gone with it. If the new level 3 courses don't build on a previous level 2, it worries me I may have to start from scratch.

Level 2 was great because, being previously self-taught, I had experience and knowledge of things that were quite obscure but massive gaps in my knowledge that having a course to follow forced me to fill in, but I wouldn't want to have to repeat level 2. Level 3 would probably benefit me for the same reason level 2 did.

My memory of the options back a couple of years ago was that level 3 was available in gas, oil, and solar (very rare, mind) flavours. I was toying with the idea of doing a solid-fuel course instead and looking at doing solar one day because there really wasn't a local opportunity. Seemed more my line of interest.

But if there isn't a level 2 stepping stone, I worry entry requirements for unvented, water regs, and various short courses will all be changed to the new level 3 qualification which may be a problem if level 3 means starting from scratch. Or, generally speaking, do most courses tend to be more negotiable once you can add experience to your qualifications?

 

[Chuck]

The value of a qualification doesn't vanish just because it is no longer being offered. Broadly speaking, courses that used to accept 6189 NVQ 2 may no longer list it as a pre-requisite qualification on websites, etc. but the course director will have discretion to continue accepting it. In formal FE/HE courses this is often known as the 'APL' (accreditation of prior learning) intake route. In practice it means that a tutor who understands the content of qualifications makes the decision rather than clerical staff who have a check list.

I'm not sure what you want in your level 3 course but in practice you'll have to take what's on offer. If the move away from natural gas heating takes place as proposed by government, I'd have thought a level 3 course that includes plumbing, heating, gas and renewables would be a good investment right now. There's going to be a lot of work and a shortage of skilled people in the next two decades.

Good luck and HNY

 

[Brambles]

The City and Guilds Qualification 6189 NVQ2 (with the evidenced based portfolio) is a valid qualification. The best advice that you could get is to go back to your college and ask them what the options for progression are.

The issue you will increasingly come across is that an NVQ Level 2 is not consistently being accepted as an entry qualification to the plethora of competent persons scheme.

Whilst I appreciate that you don’t want to work in gas - a Gas Safe Qualification will give you an entry point into most areas of the industry.

 

[Ric2013]

The City and Guilds Qualification 6189 NVQ2 (with the evidenced based portfolio) is a valid qualification. The best advice that you could get is to go back to your college and ask them what the options for progression are.

The issue you will increasingly come across is that an NVQ Level 2 is not consistently being accepted as an entry qualification to the plethora of competent persons scheme.

Whilst I appreciate that you don’t want to work in gas - a Gas Safe Qualification will give you an entry point into most areas of the industry.

Unfortunately the college I studied at only offers oil, so I can't use my contacts there to get onto gas. And being self-employed, I can't build a gas porfolio since I can't touch it. So oil would be better from those respects.

Will have a chat with my college and see what is in play.

 

[Aquarius]

You could try manufactures course? I know Worcester offer acs etc.

 

[Ric2013]

Is that a route into gas?

 

[Brambles]

My thoughts were using your current C and G Level 2 qualification as the entry criteria for a Gas Safe Course through a training provider.

The successful completion of the Gas Safe Course awards an ACS qualification which ( for a fee) allows you to register with Gas Safe. This is the route I use for my level 2 apprentices - thereafter Hetas, Oftec and the various renewable energy self certification schemes.

The cost of the qualification with intensive supervised onsite experience to complete the Portfolio is around £3,750 plus the Gas Safe registration fee.

Whilst you don’t need to be in the UK to complete the theory part - you do need to be in the UK to complete the exams and the portfolio work ( 3 to 4 weeks).

Allow 9 to 12 months to complete the qualification. Whilst in theory it can be completed in around 3 months, that would require examination slots to be available as soon as the relevant sections are completed - Theory, Classroom Practical, Portfolio interview / approval and ACS refresher + ACS exam. In reality there is a months gap between each stage to revise and secure an exam slot.

 

[Aquarius]

My apologies mate, it’s only commercial that’s offered or acs renewal. Depending on location in the uk, you could try these?What is ACS Gas Courses? | Logic4training - https://www.logic4training.co.uk/acs-gas-courses-explained/

 

[Kay101]

6189 level 2 is still available.
In fact there's funding for adults