I am looking at doing a plumbing heating and gas course

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Benjamin Hobson

Hi all,
i am about to leave the Royal Marines next year and I am looking at getting into plumbing/gas.
i have found a course I like the look of just wanted some advise on if this is the right way to go?
it is with brookehouse training ltd and is a multi-skilled gas engineer level 3 including plumbing, central heating, gas, appliance fault finding and a guaranteed workplace in writing to build my portfolio.
qualifications gained will be BPEC water regulations (bye laws), CITB intermediate gas certificate and CITB ACS assessments.
is this enough to get a start in the industry and to become gas registered?

thanks for all replys in advance
 
There are a lot of threads about private courses on here.I have seen very few positive comments and many comment about how expensive they are and that the qualifications offered are not what the trade is looking for.There are a number of threads on here specifically about Brookhouse Training.I have just read through one from March 2013 which gives a balanced review.
 
Welcome benjamin.
Start with check in plumbing courses in the plumbing forum.
And hopefully this will get you up and running with some advice interest.
Good luck and hope you enjoy it here in the UKPF
 
Just an extra question, how long are you looking at to build your portfolio up? Is 6 weeks enough as that's what they say?
 
It may also be a good idea to see how many other gas and plumbs are operating in your catchment area .
 
Hi, there are quite a few, but the training provider offers a work placement in your area guaranteed, I'm also willing to travel daily
 
Yes I understand that, but I think if you look hard enough and come across well that shouldn't be a problem, what I wanted to know was how long you think it will take to build a portfolio? Is it a certain amount of jobs? Hours?
 
Benjamin Hobson said:
Yes I understand that, but I think if you look hard enough and come across well that shouldn't be a problem
Click to expand...

#6, there are quite a few in my area is what you said now that to me is a problem! Please take your Rose tinted glasses off for one minute.
 
How's that a problem? I'm not looking to set up a business? I'm looking to do the course and get work, which surely means the more in my area the better? Also I was on about a work placement in my area so again surely that's a good thing?
 
Righto, most people who come on here are looking to qualify and go self-employed straight away hence some of the replies you`ve been getting, now we know different may I suggest you go and talk to some of these guys in your area about the course and employment afterwards.
 
Yes fine but this "six weeks" to building a portfolio management means you have a lot to do whether it's just plumbing OR gas related.
For someone who is "looking" to complete it in compressed timing, you'd be best to adhere to hammers4spanner like he has explained.
Within your grasp
Try and get the latest and as much practical knowledge as possible.
 
You will get a placement easy i would imagine as training centres will take your money and pretty much pass you if you look safe enough .

Its the getting a decent wage after i would worry about .

What area are you ?
 
hammers4spanner said:
It may also be a good idea to see how many other gas and plumbs are operating in your catchment area .
Click to expand...

That sounds like a new75mm Hammers4spanner .lolz
Merry Christmas mate and happy new year.
 
Hi all thanks for the response, to clarify I am not the kind of person to think that I could do an 18 week course and then set up a business, my plan is to get 5 years experience under my belt before I even think about that, just want a change in career and not expecting £40k a year I'd be happy with £20k - £25 and I'm sure I could get that with my attitude towards work.
 
Hello Ben, and welcome, You mention work placement in your area ? (Where Are You) I am located just outside Plymouth , large area for guys in the Marines, Not a good area to try for employment in the plumbing industry, unless you have got a few years experience , and that is the key factor, opportunities in other areas of uk could be better, Numbers in this area average around 600 , and not a lot of construction work going on just yet (Things in Pipeline) And this reflects on wages, I like a lot of other Plumbers in this location get numinous calls, emails asking for help to do what you are hoping to do, offering to work for free, just to gain experience, Don't just jump into this trade there are other opportunities in construction, do some more research B4 you decide and part with quite a large amount money, But good luck with what decide to do.
 
Hi jts plumbing yes I am based in Plymouth now but won't be looking for work there, thanks for the info though
 
Knowing what i know now and if i was say 34 years old in another job i would be looking at brick laying . Shortage of brickies down where i am and with a new town being built guaranteeing 20 years worth of work. The lads i know hit grand a week laying blocks, not for everyone but good wedge and in demand.
 
Let me put our experience simply.

We only do renewables, we don't do gas, oil, or lpg. Looking to the future, we are going to need more and more experienced heat pump (Ground and Air Source) and air con people.

You'll still need plumbing / heating basics - water regs, heating and G3, then add in Heat Pump and f-gas qualifications and in 5 years time you'll be choosing which employers to turn down :)
 
Benjamin
First you need some certification which I am sure you are aware off, next you need employment which will enable you to use it.
You ELC will fund a number of courses to provide training with resettlement funding. All you need is the determination and lots of luck. Best of that you will need plenty as this industry is saturated
Try C&G 2399
 
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Hi quality, thanks for the advice, I get £2500 from ELC and resettlement so have to pay around £4000 myself, which is obviously better than the full £6700
 
Worcester said:
Let me put our experience simply.

We only do renewables, we don't do gas, oil, or lpg. Looking to the future, we are going to need more and more experienced heat pump (Ground and Air Source) and air con people.

You'll still need plumbing / heating basics - water regs, heating and G3, then add in Heat Pump and f-gas qualifications and in 5 years time you'll be choosing which employers to turn down :)
Click to expand...

Thank you for the advise, I will definitely look into that after I complete this course
Again thank you
 
I know everyone says the industry is saturated but it is in a lot of industry's, if you put the hard work in and are determined you can get a job in any saturated industry, there is a lot of luck and right place right time involved, but the more you try the more the percentage goes up. I am fed up with my job and have always been interested in this trade. I have thought long and hard about it and wouldn't give away a £37000 PA wage without been pretty sure I could make it work
 
F gas, Heat pumps is where you need to look.
To even think about about earning a gas safe engineer your looking at 2 - 3 years
 
You gotta weigh things up, a 20k a year job can be gotten without having to put yourself through hardship of training up as a plumber. You gotta take a hit in terms of low wages and the years you will throw at this trade. Unless you enjoy plumbing immensely there is little logical reason to make that sacrifice.
Hammers mentions bricklaying worth a think - quicker to master, quicker returns

Nothing is impossible the world is your oyster best of luck to you Ben!
 
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quality said:
F gas, Heat pumps is where you need to look.
To even think about about earning a gas safe engineer your looking at 2 - 3 years
Click to expand...

So would I not be gas safe after this course? It says on completion I would be? Surely they can't say that if it's not true? This provider has been doing this for the military leavers for 10 years and must be legit as they are still doing it?
Getting confused now
 
Being gas registered and gas qualified are different . Ones the governing body overlooking how we work so to speak so that we are safe.
 
Stanios said:
You gotta weigh things up, a 20k a year job can be gotten without having to put yourself through hardship of training up as a plumber. You gotta take a hit in terms of low wages and the years you will throw at this trade. Unless you enjoy plumbing immensely there is little logical reason to make that sacrifice.
Hammers mentions bricklaying worth a think - quicker to master, quicker returns

Nothing is impossible the world is your oyster best of luck to you Ben!
Click to expand...

Thanks, if I wanted any job though I would stay in the marines on £37k a year but I have to enjoy a job so yes I could get a job for £20k easily but I want a challenge, as long as I'm getting a wage that pays the bills extra money doesn't matter that much to me at the minute
 
Benjamin Hobson said:
Thanks, if I wanted any job though I would stay in the marines on £37k a year but I have to enjoy a job so yes I could get a job for £20k easily but I want a challenge, as long as I'm getting a wage that pays the bills extra money doesn't matter that much to me at the minute
Click to expand...

It may not matter much just now ! but losing 20K a year is a lot of money when your back in civey st, I am assuming your not married, not got a mortgage, and maybe going to move back in with parents, Trying to live on £400 a week (20k) pay for accommodation , food, running a vehicle suddenly 20K is not a lot and that is if your clearing 20K, single guy earning 20K after deductions will be lucky to take home 15K
 
In five years you'll be a professional.
Benjamin Hobson said:
Hi all thanks for the response, to clarify I am not the kind of person to think that I could do an 18 week course and then set up a business, my plan is to get 5 years experience under my belt before I even think about that, just want a change in career and not expecting £40k a year I'd be happy with £20k - £25 and I'm sure I could get that with my attitude towards work.
Click to expand...
 
HIBen
ex RN here, started plumbing in my 40s now 56 and knees failed, wrist broken and back beggared. Be very aware the short course will teach you the same as a 4 year college course, but without the ability or time to get practical experience. A 6 week placement, if it happens and lots never do wont give you a lot, so what small or large plumbing firm will want to take you on?

I did 4 years day release at college, so around 100 days training and exams so a bit more than your course but the benefit of time to put things into practice and I did that through running a property development/renovation business for myself. then I also had some rents coming in to allow me to build my customer base. No one would have taken me on locally, so my only choice was to get out there on my own, plumbing initially, then gas, followed by oil and lpg. Specializing in AGAs and rayburns was another string to my bow. So now net some £50k plus after parts/appliances removed but before fuel, and other costs. Live happily on that myself but costs of van tools etc isnt cheap.

the fact your about to be an ex cabbage head gives you a great work ethos discipline etc, but that wont get you a job, folks want experience, knowledge and skill to make you worthwhile to them. You would be best to hit BG to see if they would train you up for free. I wouldnt bother with brick layer but I wsould look at airconditioning, as my cousin is now sitting pretty on millions as he got in there as computers needed cooling, and still do.

You can probably get into plumbing if your determined but just be aware we need more kit and tools than any other trade and everything about our choice of work seems to cost more than everyone elses :)
 
lame plumber said:
HIBen
ex RN here, started plumbing in my 40s now 56 and knees failed, wrist broken and back beggared. Be very aware the short course will teach you the same as a 4 year college course, but without the ability or time to get practical experience. A 6 week placement, if it happens and lots never do wont give you a lot, so what small or large plumbing firm will want to take you on?

I did 4 years day release at college, so around 100 days training and exams so a bit more than your course but the benefit of time to put things into practice and I did that through running a property development/renovation business for myself. then I also had some rents coming in to allow me to build my customer base. No one would have taken me on locally, so my only choice was to get out there on my own, plumbing initially, then gas, followed by oil and lpg. Specializing in AGAs and rayburns was another string to my bow. So now net some £50k plus after parts/appliances removed but before fuel, and other costs. Live happily on that myself but costs of van tools etc isnt cheap.

the fact your about to be an ex cabbage head gives you a great work ethos discipline etc, but that wont get you a job, folks want experience, knowledge and skill to make you worthwhile to them. You would be best to hit BG to see if they would train you up for free. I wouldnt bother with brick layer but I wsould look at airconditioning, as my cousin is now sitting pretty on millions as he got in there as computers needed cooling, and still do.

You can probably get into plumbing if your determined but just be aware we need more kit and tools than any other trade and everything about our choice of work seems to cost more than everyone elses :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, everyone has to start somewhere, I will take this on board and have a look at options, I would love to go the BG route but if I don't get it then I'd be abit stuck, so need to do a course in the meantime
Thanks
Ben
 
lame plumber said:
A Royal Marine with no sense of humour wont make a good tradesman................
Click to expand...

I've got a sense of humour, it's just there's a time and a place for it, that's not when someone comes on to here to get important info to make a decision on there and there family's future, I've also worked in the building trade before and got on just fine.
 
Air con is more expensive on start up tools (£3k will get you a basic set to attend your first job) however quicker to learn and qualify in. The challenge with air con / heat pumps is the sever lack of maintenance / fault finding courses, so you'll need to piggy back an experienced air con guy.

If starting out now I would take serious look at heat pumps / air con as the way forward. - We've already got 7 heat pumps booked in for the beginning of next year. The courses run by the big suppliers (panasonic, mistubishi, samsung and daikin) are all worth attending, you'll need a heating background first hence my comments above.
 
All you are interested in are the good points and knocking anybody warning you. Take off the rose tinted glasses for a start and listen to the negatives as well as the positives.

Otherwise what is the point of coming on here and asking for opinions?

You might want to make contact with one of the members on here, Armyash, he's been there through all the ups and downs and doing it for a living now.
 
SimonG said:
All you are interested in are the good points and knocking anybody warning you. Take off the rose tinted glasses for a start and listen to the negatives as well as the positives.

Otherwise what is the point of coming on here and asking for opinions?

You might want to make contact with one of the members on here, Armyash, he's been there through all the ups and downs and doing it for a living now.
Click to expand...

As I have said, I've thanked everyone for there comments, good or bad and have taken it all on board and may take another look at my options, the only thing I have said is to someone taking the ****, anyway thanks all for the comments
 
Hi Ben,

welcome to the forum

i got into plumbing ay 36 I did my course at Brookhouse at the over 6 years ago. and im 44 now so let me give you the benefit of my experience.

firstly they will teach you how to work on gas safely testing ETC but in this is very different in the real world and i had been done my level 2 plumbing at college and been plumbing for 2-3 years.

secondly although not impossible but very well nearly you wont get a paying job after completing your course and getting the piece of paper to join the gas safe register as you dont have the experience.

i tried to get a job but no one interested so stayed self employed and it is only 8 years into this that now im making money and at the same time going part time as ive starting another business.

its tough in the early days and the financial investment to do it right is huge.

but if your determined you can do it but i believe it will take you a long time possibly 4-5 years before you will even get close earning to 20k a year.

most plumbing and heating firms are not interested if you dont have the experience they dont care about quals its the experience they are after and the gas safe badge. the ones that will give you chance will use you and abuse you. for very little reward on your part.
if you have the money to start up on your own i would go self employed but it aint no picnic
 
a friend of mine studied at a regular college got plumbing qualifications "NVQ's 2 & 3"
got a job's on new development building site's then once he had a couple of years experience he applied with British gas and they paid him while they trained him in his case hes now been working for them over ten years and is very happy
British gas may not be for everybody... however getting in with a firm of gas safe plumbers for a couple of years surely will benefit you on what you can learn from the experience tradesmen around you.
a lot of the train quick e.g 16 weeks for £XXXXX are only interested in factory farmed learning which isn't helpful in the real world
 
Just to add you also need a very technical and logical mindset and at the same time be very good pracitcally using your hands which is what attracted me to this job.
i also think you may struggle without getting a grounding in the wet side of plumbing. working with water looks simple but experience teaches us all it isnt
 
Benjamin Hobson said:
Hi all,
i am about to leave the Royal Marines next year and I am looking at getting into plumbing/gas.
i have found a course I like the look of just wanted some advise on if this is the right way to go?
it is with brookehouse training ltd and is a multi-skilled gas engineer level 3 including plumbing, central heating, gas, appliance fault finding and a guaranteed workplace in writing to build my portfolio.
qualifications gained will be BPEC water regulations (bye laws), CITB intermediate gas certificate and CITB ACS assessments.
is this enough to get a start in the industry and to become gas registered?

thanks for all replys in advance
Click to expand...

a friend of mine studied at a regular college got plumbing qualifications "NVQ's 2 & 3"
got a job's on new development building site's then once he had a couple of years experience he applied with British gas and they paid him while they trained him in his case hes now been working for them over ten years and is very happy
British gas may not be for everybody... however getting in with a firm of gas safe plumbers for a couple of years surely will benefit you on what you can learn from the experience tradesmen around you.
a lot of the train quick e.g 16 weeks for £XXXXX are only interested in factory farmed learning which isn't helpful in the real world
 
You need to be prepared both mentally and financially to go self employed.
Although you may end up with all the necessary qualifications you won't be considered employable by most if not all established businesses.

You will need to be able to bankroll some serious advertising, a van, more tools than you can shake a stick at, and be able to support your family for a good couple of years before you will make a wage regularly.

The thing with gas safe is it is just that. Working sagely with gas.

Your six weeks will get you the qualification but won't teach you how any of the hundreds of thousands of different appliances work and how to determine what the fault/s are.

Also without an extensive knowledge of how systems and their components operate you will be unlikely to be able to determine whether an appliance has a fault or if the fault is down to external controls, valves or components.


That said it can be achieved with a lot of hard work and determination. But you will be highly unlikely to gain employment with anyone else because of a lack of experience.

Why not ring a few businesses up and introduce yourself and explain your plans and test the water about employment before you pay a lot of money

If you do proceed I wish you the best of luck. And my advice would be to befriend a good local engineer who you can call for advice when you need it. Approach a couple and say you have work occasionally that requires an extra pair of hands and you would like to offer it to them. Then when a job is beyond you you have someone to ring . They will take the money from the job but you keep your customer happy and gain valuable experience each time
 
How long have you been a boot neck?

Worst thing I have ever done in my life was leaving the RN.

My mates who stayed & did 23/24yrs are now mid 40's with a lovely pension that'll increase when they turn 55.

Me, have to work until I drop.

I wish the op all the best. He seems determined.

BG look at ex forces favourably

Maybe make enquiries with big companies.

All the best
 
rocketmanbkk said:
How long have you been a boot neck?

Worst thing I have ever done in my life was leaving the RN.

My mates who stayed & did 23/24yrs are now mid 40's with a lovely pension that'll increase when they turn 55.

Me, have to work until I drop.

I wish the op all the best. He seems determined.

BG look at ex forces favourably

Maybe make enquiries with big companies.

All the best
Click to expand...

Hi, I have been in 13 years now, I know the pension used to be great but it's not that good now, and I cannot see myself doing another 9 years to get it mate. I am definitely going to try BG and maybe forget about the gas course and do a cheaper plumbing course now as I think BG train you for free? Not sure what to do 100% now need a good think over the holidays
 
Yeah, no rush. Do what's right for you. You don't want to waste money. Apply to the big companies. Make sure you're happy no1.

All the best
 
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