OLCI Courses - Plumbing Forum | Plumbers Forums

Tosh · 24-02-2008

Hi all,
I'm nearing the end of my training for NVQ2 with OLCI in London. I'm doing this course as and when I can in my spare time as I have a mortgage to pay for so working full time as well.
So far the course, like all others, has it's ups and downs. Some of the biggest bug bears for me is the inconsistancy for levels of tutoring. Although I can't say a bad word against any of the tutors or assessors, they are all really good guys with a good sense of humour, relaxed ways of teaching and have answered every question I've come up with. Some guys clearly know a LOT more than others and go into detail more freely rather than having to be pushed. Some tutirs will answer the question tyou ask. Some tutors will answer the question and then go into detail as to why it works like that, what it does and what could be affected by it if it failed etc.

I've also found that the tutors are stretched. I recently did a practical exam where the assessor for our group was also the tutor for 2 other groups. We didn;t see him all dat until we were finished because he was so tied up with the other two groups needing his time as well. Not a way I thought my £6 grand would be spent.

There are a lot of inconsistancies in the course work too. Your folder might say one thing on one page and two pages later completely contradict itself leaving you confused what the correct answer is for the written exam. Even when asking a tutor they will then tell you what THEY were taught and what THEY believe is correct which will sometimes give you a different answer again. You now have 3 different answers for the same question on the exam paper. They should at least have had one of the tutors go through the coursework to agree it or correct it before sending out.

For me personally I have also had no communication voluntarily from OLCI about open workshop or assessment dates either. Speaking to others I am the only one so far but as the workshops and assessments on weekends fill up rapidly you have to get in there quick when the new dates come out at the start of the month. Every time I've phoned up for the new dates I am asked if I recieved the email/letter with the dates on. I say no and every time they retake my details and promise me it will never happen again. Every month I have to chase and every month I never recieve anything. They do have my address correct because I receive all the other correspondance when I book a course, I just never get the dates through.

I've also just recently found that some other guys who signed up/joined after I did, payed less money and got teh Part P electrical thrown in. I shall be investigating this matter further and will keep you updated.

I feel I am paying a lot of money for this course and am getting the minimum they have to do to get me through it and feel very much like "we have your money now ha ha ha ha, sucker!!"

All this being said (to end on an up note) I have learnt and am learning so much about the plumbing world and there is certainly no worries about materials at the training centre. Some of the valves and stuff that can get used again and again are a bit tatty but nothing a bit of PTFE can't cure. But the pipework we use and throw away is astronomical but it's there for us to get our bends and stuff right.

On a final note. As I'm nearing the end of my course and looking for work (you need to be on the job to gain your NVQ2) I am finding it increasingly harder to get work. There are so many adverts for new plumbers offering their services to companies for free just to gain the experience that earning money as a new plumber looks almost impossible unless you're prepared to brave it and go out alone. Think about it logically. Just in OLCI in London it is always packed with students, full time, part time, fast track etc. How many qualifird plumbers is that one company alone churning out every week without all the other companies and colleges up and down the country?? We are not at that desperate shortage of plumbers we all think we are and the average wage now is around £24,000 (so I'm told).

Good luck with your trainings and I'll be interested to read other people's opinions or their trainings as this is just mine and mine alone.

Take care

Tosh.

ben1972 · 25-02-2008

hi tosh,

i am looking to start a plumbing training course - have looked at OLCI but heard not such good things about them - now i have read yours i am very put off !

i have been looking at Building Trade Skills Centres - Tel: 020 8391 3055 which is based 30 mins from waterloo in chessington - seems a 'more together' set up . When i spoke with OLCI they did give me the impression of taking your cash and then churning you out - like you said

i would be interested if any moderators from this website , or any one in fact , can give impartial advise on which centres are the best for training

regards
ben

**uug197h** · 25-02-2008

these courses ar all much the same you pay you pass there not bothered if you are any good they will teach you to pass the exams and give you bits of information to keep you going i did one of these courses 3 years ago and i was intrested in learning as much as i could after the course i keeped in touch with 7 of the lads on the course and i am the only one that is still plumbing the rest of them started self employed as did i. but its not easy to get customers when your starting out, I was lucky my wife has a good job and we could live of her wage this gave me chance to build up my business, other plumbers i know have said this year is the worst they have seen with very little work to start with but i have only had one day off since the 5th jan and i am booked up till april,

Tosh · 25-02-2008

Hi Ben,
Please remember these are just my views and how I see it. There are plenty of guys on the course that are happy with it but plenty with gripes too. As Uug says it's pretty impossible to fail. There have been a few who have and they've had to be really kak. The big question I suppose is knowing what I know will I be signing up for my level 3 with OLCI........................

Prob not. The down side to this is taking a chance on another company which I have no doubt are the same. In it for profit not producing master plumbers. After all how many people would sign up if they heard how strict or hard a company was??

The best thing is to take it onto your own back to learn as much as poss. As well as doing the sourse work I am given, I also bought a plumbing book for NVQ level. I also cross refernce this with manufactureres catalogues/brochure's, screwfix catalog (for finding out specific tools or components look like) and anything I can lay my hand on. (plumbers forum's for instance.

The way I look at it is I am doing this to better my life so put as much as I can into it. There are so many people on the same course that can;t wait to get away early or not do the minor things. I've paid 6 grand for my course and am getting my monies worth.

Also remember (as I have now found out after joining OLCI and paying my money) that NVQ level 2 is still really only the basics. It's the footings of plumbing and no matter what is advertised the 6129 is worth very little and the NVQ 2 is the minimum any company are looking for to hire someone. Unless you're going straight out to work for yourself then all you need is a spanner, some PTFE tape and a means of transport. Any monkey can say they're a plumber but there is a **** load into becomming a good plumber.

Good luck mate and let us know where you end up going and how it turns out for you.

Regards

Tosh

ak plumbing · 29-02-2008

Hi
I completed an OLCI training course through plumbing skills and access training in Wales about a year ago. The problem I had with them is that before parting with my cash for the course,the impression I was given is that I would be fully quailified at the end of it,however this was not the case. I paid £4250 for this course and after complaining afterwards I was told I would have to pay a further £4000 for a city and guilds quailification or a further £6000 for an NVQ.
I currently work for a friend of mine who has been a plumber for 17 years,but he can only pay me little at the moment and will only allow me to do so much as we are in domestic premises.I have contacted every plumber in the area in the past and usually find they're not interested unless your quailified.

I think the majority of these companys who have these fast track courses are only after peoples money,so anyone looking to do one of these courses should be cautious.
I am thinking of doing a tiling course at some point, but it will be one where I get the qualification I need.I then hope to use what I have learned in plumbing to go alongside the tiling.

arran123 · 13-03-2008

matey,

i did a course with train 4 trade skills which was excellent, it was under 4k and you are qualified to nvq3 level

bishbosh77 · 16-03-2008

Sounds too good to be true.......................... 4k to get to level 3 , na

Tosh · 17-03-2008

Blimey, 4K is seriously good. I'm looking for my NVQ3 now it certainly won;t be with OLCI. On a side note I recently saw a front page article on a plumbing newspaper/magazine about how these fast track courses are ripping people off. It said
"some companies are charging up to £5,000 for an NVQ level 2". Considering you are the first person to say you've got one UNDER 5K I'm wondering what is going on.
The paper/ mag was called sham news or something like that. Apparently it's a free subscription. I'll drop in a website when I find it. One of the other students on course brought it in. Oddly enough the assessor took a photocopy of the front page. Hmm I wonder why??
As a side from the side as I am now nearing the end of my course and can start applying for jobs to be on the tools and gain my NVQ2, you wouldn't believe how many companies out there are stating 'no fast track students apply'. Not a good start.

I was almost right.

The paper is called PHAMnews. It stands for Plumbing Heating and Air Movement
It's a free news paper you can get sent to your home.

Plumbing, Heating and Air Movement News - Pham News

**ProffesorPlumb** · 01-04-2008

I have moved all OLCI feedback threads to here to consolidate them

09-04-2008

Plumbuk84 I hope I am not too late but do not go with OLCI I am with them and everyone I have spoken to on course say the same they will offer loads but deliver only the basic not much support anywhere from them.

I know its easy to use them with shift patterns I'm the same but would trade lower money for the flex to attend college

Find somewhere else that is better for you!

If you have already gone with them then really push them hard!