how do i get into plumbing/help please

[paulbrogden2007]

hello guys i hope some one can give me real advise and not be nasty about it. as some plumbers refuse to help and in fact ive seen posts where some one has asked for advise but got nothing but abuse i supose some plumbers regard people getting into plumbing as competition.

any way here goes im looking for a career been working in call centers for the past 3 years previous to that i did college studing film and graphic design which went no where previous to that i was doing mig welding and fabrication and manufacturing. any way im looking to train up but looking at the nvq structure it could take 5 years if i did it part time. their is a course being run by dewsbury town hall paid by the job center im going for an interview on the 18th. but its only run for 37 weeks. running for just 2 days a week i need advise how can i get to be a plumber i have applied on some apretance courses with kirklees council and leeds homes but not hered any thing for months.

please could you advise me im 30 unemployed and wondering if the course is any good even if i get on it as i supose many people will be going their and i think their will be a test to do. im a little dyslexic so i hope the test is not too hard.

i would like to here from real plumbers in the trade and students. if you can post a reply i be very gradeful if you do can you state if your a student or a fully qualifyed plumber and thanks for your advise.

[Aqua Mechanica]

Maybe I can help...

Best place to start really is a one day a week college course. Here in London, alot of the distinguished firms such as Pimlico Plumbers won't even look at you if you have got your qualifications quickly such as a crash 10 week course etc. So the one day a week day release is your best bet. I loose around £5,000 for that tuesday every week I go to college but what I learn there is worth it's weight in gold.

Unless you have been a Plumber for 5 years, you really need to start with the Technical Certificate in Plumbing Level 2. This is done at college solely and will give you the skills and knoweledge to become a Plumber.

I have just started year 2 of the Level 2 Technical Certificate but have completed almost all of the workshop based assignment and am really just turning up to take exams.

The Qualification you need is the Plumbing NVQ level 2, this will get you work within a company. This can be done alongside the Technical Certificate as it is purely based at work (your vocation). Someone on my course did theirs last year and it took them 6 weeks to complete through site visits and personal job records.

After the two years it takes to complete this (well, 72 days of college) I highly recommend going onto level 3 of the Tech Cert and the NVQ. It will give you a much better chance of getting work over other plumbers and will also ensure you are completely competant in your profession.

After this, you could take the welding tickets and join firms that do commercial work, apparently the bigger the pipe - the better the money.

Or you could train as a Gas Engineer becoming Corgi Registered or whatever it will be called after 1st April 2009 when it is passed to Capita for regulation.

The Gas bit is the part I'm trying to find out how to do, so if you get any information let me know. I believe there are courses for it - either ACS or CCN1 or something.

Good Luck.

Ben Wood
AQUA MECHANICA

[paulbrogden2007]

thanks for the advise im grateful you took the time to write a responce many people have been reading my post but not posting comments which is really disapointing as we all have to start some where. as for what you discused yes your right doing nvq level1 2 3 and then gas is i would like to do however their is a problem with that. in order for college to cosider you to do nvq level 2 and 3 and so on you have to be employed in the industry. here in the north leeds college of building do an evening course but to do any thing above level 1 you have to have a job in the industry. its a pitty i tryed to get on a 30 week 2 day a week assett cours2e run by build but so many people was let in on the day when the doors should had been shut at 10 oclock that i stood little chance of getting on the course i do have dyslexia but they were assessing people who got over 65% and above i complained and retook the test and got 67% and did well on the interview but i fear that due to the amount of time from when the test took place and me retaking the test and doing the interview i fear i dont have a chance of getting on the course as their assessing people all on a plain level field which is not far to people who has learning difficulties i feel the course has broken equal opunities excuss my spelling. so my options to train up to become a plumber looks limited. it does seem to me colleges and the govument are saying plumbers are needed but plumbers on the other hand are saying they they are not needed they say not enough work is out their. as in regards to what you said i all ready have a rsa in fabrication and mig welding that i did in 1996 im doing a refreser course on mig/tig/arc/gas welding at huddersfield to just keep my options open i did think about doing welding while i learn plumbing on evenings .what do you think about that?

[Aqua Mechanica]

Well to be honest, when I applied for college, I only applied for the technical certificate because I didn't have a job in Plumbing - at the time I was working in a Bathroom Showroom selling sanitaryware.

Once I got onto the course, I found myself a job "house bashing" through a friend of my dad's, which was extremely fortunate.

Once on the course, I found out that I could do the NVQ at the same time - when I thought I'd have to complete the entire Tech Cert before I could start the NVQ.

As most plumbers will tell you, NVQ stands for "Not Very Qualified", it's good to have the qualification on paper to get a job but it is extremely easy to do - just hassle. So don't panic about doing the NVQ immediately.

I have a friend who is a bus driver and in the second year of his Technical Certificate and regularly attends college every wednesday.

You don't have to be a Plumber to do a tech cert, the tech cert for all intensive purposes - is Plumbing training, it is learning the trade.

For the NVQ you do have to be carrying out domestic plumbing works and be knoweledgeable as it has no training at all. Which is why to qualify for an NVQ, you need 5 years Plumbing experience or currently on a Tech Cert training course.

With regards to getting into a college, I just bulldosed my way in. I was working for a friends brother for a few weeks labouring and he phoned the college and pleaded desperation to get me on the course saying that it was vital for me to keep my job with him - which at the time, probably wasn't too far from the truth. You really do have to chase them down and be nagging, just keep phoning until they let you on to shut you up.

As for a job, get on a building site doing whatever you can, and start to Network with the Plumbers. Get yourself known by the foreman/supervisor, then tell them that plumbing is something you're keen to do and maybe after a bit of relationship building - they'll help you out and put a good word in. If you have arc weilding certs, get on with a pipefitting/mechanical services firm, they usually have a plumbing division.