daveyk

also intrested in this

johnmcginty

Hey Chris don't worrry mate just be patient ! I know what you are capable of just keep trying. What about going it alone teaming up with tiler or something , maybe do tiling aswell ...I did and have 2 bathrooms and a kitchen booked in allready. For anyone who is thinking of re training in to plumbing right now just hold your horses and dont just yet! I have spent near 11 grand on everything. Though viy is top notch it is just city and guildsthat are old fashioned ... maybe that useless week of lead burning and bossing could have been tiling...seems more relevant nowadays. Let us know how you get on though mate.

John Cotton

Whats an ACCREDITED course mean - how does it differ to non-accredited.
Could you do the Chase course and then go on to do ACS or does this firstly require a C&G/NVQ ?

johnmcginty

Mate getting gas is very tricky if you are over the age of consent ... you need to be working with a gas installer and have a minimum of NVQ level 2 and you can only get nvq 2 if you have city and guilds 6129 tech ....(in your circumstance .) to get nvq2 you have to transferr over evidence from 6129 tech cert to your 6089 cert this will now be about 80-90 % done to finish off then you need onsite visits and still document everything you do with photos and write ups. when you complete 6089 then you are awarded the nvq level 2 . Obviously if you can find work or be self employed ....This should be your main worry and objective. hope this helps pm me anytime for some more info. john

fuzzy

whats a chase NOCN course? something they made up?

wrecked_24_7

so far i have only the 6129, but need a couple of on site assesments which cost like £150 each to get the assesors to come out, then i will have my 6089. I have been trying all week to find some work, and so far no joy, even though the 1 plumber who said he'd see me from 100 letters i sent out before the course, cant offer me any work, he went on the VIY course, and he now runs his own firm , which seems to be ticking over, the only difference was he started it up about a year and a half ago before the credit crunch and i guess before so many people jumped on the "bandwagon." But this in itself shows that it is possible, so even though there is no one really willing to take me on, apart from an interview i have with a recruitment agency for a plumber,(£8 hmmmm) i am looking into speaking to princes trust and business links to see if there is any help they can give me.


so true about the tiling bit mate, i know personally i wont be touching lead, besides id assume most roofers would do it. Am pretty lucky really mate, cos one of my mates went on a months tiling course while was on the VIY course. He photocopied the book they gave him for that course which has all the info on it which is really helpful, think am going to have some practice in my own bathroom first though, as it is one thing reading it, but another doing it. But if worse comes to worse i guess i could ask him to do the tiling for me, only thing is he's just got a job, which hiopefully he may be able to get me in there with the plumbers, as this factory actually builds rooms believe it or not, then they get transported to the sites, ie/universities, hotels etc. Really dont know how they do it, but this is what he tells me. But yes mate i agree, VIY was very good, but now is DEFINATELY not the time to be thinking about going on the course. I rang round EVERY plumber in the yellow pages and ALL were saying the same thing, on how bad the industry has been hit, and as the construction sites are slowing/closing down, the bigger firms are now having to look elsewhere and take on the jobs that the would have once turned down, hence taking a portion of the "smaller mans" pie.lol. Sad business.

fuzzy

but wrecked you have to do alot more than jsut 2 on-site visits to get the 6089? if you have had no work how have you got all the evidence required?

johnmcginty

Fuzzy , about 90 % of the 6089 can be transferred from the 6129 as I have done myself...some of the other stuff can be done in your own house or mates houses believe it or not like changing taps and simpler jobs you just need photographic evidence. looking back in heinsight I would have probably done the tiling course first as it is a fraction of the cost and actually gets you out there working building up a client base!

wrecked_24_7

yes the VIy course covers most of 6089, its just transferring evidence which i am lil unsure about, but am under the impression we can get away with 2 on sight assesments if we carry out the assignments correctly. John, are you 100% sure what to do with transferal of evidence?? and chek ur inbox message plz mate. speek soon

ProffesorPlumb

Lol, it's not made up.

They are now City & Guilds courses for domestic plumbers anyway.

John Cotton, you need to go the 6129 / 6089 route (level 2 & 3) to get your gas quals. Or train to become a 'gas fitter' where you will bypass the usual 6129 route, but only be qualified in piping up gas to appliances - nothing more.

Either way, to get gas quals, you need to have work experience in order to get CORGI registered.