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jimc1983

Hi all.
As per title I'm in a strange situation as when I left school in 2000 I started a plumbing apprenticeship with the local plumbing company (dad's friends, lol). I stuck at this for 2 years but left before completing nvq level 2. I was something like 2 months away from completing it. I left and joined a bespoke bathroom firm in the April i think. Couldn't get back on the nvq until September to complete it. Anyway come September my boss decided that I was good enough and pulled me off the NVQ and give me a raise. Being 21 I thought it was great that I was earning top money. So I worked for these for around 3 years and left to work for myself. So here I am at age 31 still unqualified but very experienced. So I had some money put away and thought sod it i will complete this bloody NVQ for my own satisfaction and phoned around to enrol and get the portfolio to complete. Anyway it appears I had to have proof of 5 years worth of work and photo evidence. I could of got this in patches as I don't generally take many photos. So long story short i have to do the tech certificate then the nvq. I'm on week two of a home study course and feeling that I've wasted at least some money. Jesus I'm doing bending frames and other nonsense that I learned years ago and actually giving advice to other students on heating systems etc. Even the tutor pulled me over and said what the f are you doing here as you already know all this stuff. Anyway I've started it now so sod it. I'll finish it and be around £4000 lighter. Could I have got straight on the NVQ? I have a place to work on site if needed as my mates a local plumbing firm subby or do my own work which I'm snowed under with at the moment. Am I crazy?
 
You could have gone straight onto NVQ Level3, as it's at the discretion of your college.
 
Except you decide to follow the route of your choice.
You are very experienced and say you have too much work at the moment. So why the need for this qualification? I know of no mandatory requirement that you need a qualification to be a plumber. I am yet to be asked by any customer to show my qualifications. To the best of my knowledge, customers may ask how long you have been in the industry, not how many certificates you have.
So in short, customers prefer experience over qualifications
 
Except you decide to follow the route of your choice.
You are very experienced and say you have too much work at the moment. So why the need for this qualification? I know of no mandatory requirement that you need a qualification to be a plumber. I am yet to be asked by any customer to show my qualifications. To the best of my knowledge, customers may ask how long you have been in the industry, not how many certificates you have.
So in short, customers prefer experience over qualifications
I know what your saying but I have an annoying urge to finish what I started years ago. I do not need this as I am working already without it. I just want it for my own satisfaction. I just don't really think that I needed to do the tech cert first. Why couldn't I just jump into the nvq? Btw I too have never been asked to show any certificates.
 
Chris Watkins is best placed to answer this as he is an instructor
 
I know where you are coming from, Ive not been at it as long as you, but went straight onto gas without doing the NVQ. im regretting it a bit now, I dont think having the NVQ would help me much on a day to day basis now but i still feel a bit of a fraud
 
I know where you are coming from, Ive not been at it as long as you, but went straight onto gas without doing the NVQ. im regretting it a bit now, I dont think having the NVQ would help me much on a day to day basis now but i still feel a bit of a fraud
Your right mate. It's just a personal achievement. I don't need it, no one asks for it. I just want it to say I have it. also my mrs has an nvq and it secretly winds me up, lol.
 
I do not see were you are coming from at all!...£4000 for qualifications you do not need...you are feeling you want some paperwork..then look forward..to your future and take a course or courses that will advance you from were you are now.and learn new area's.renewable's,a specialist course maybe,do not look back and ponder,you will get run over,look forward and hog that out side lane!!!..NVQ ??,maybe I should go back and check out that 11+ exam going around when I was a boy..you have proved you can do it...now push yourself a bit and reep the rewards in a few years!!
 
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There are options available to experienced workers
you can go straight to l3
you could do competence worker schemes only
anyway, your signed up now, just complete as quick as poss and you have your cert, I think experience and certs are important equally so agree and understand your desire to have the paper to support what skills you have
 
He would need them if he ever wanted to work on site or in commercial so they aren't a complete waste of time
 
I'm in the same ish kind of situation as you. Been doing this job full time for 15 years now but for my own peace of mind I want to become NVQ L3 qualified. I have no need for it at the moment but really want it. Trying to get answers how to achieve it without an apprenticeship is a nightmare, nobody seems to have the answer!
 
I'm in the same ish kind of situation as you. Been doing this job full time for 15 years now but for my own peace of mind I want to become NVQ L3 qualified. I have no need for it at the moment but really want it. Trying to get answers how to achieve it without an apprenticeship is a nightmare, nobody seems to have the answer!

Try these guys. If they can't answer your questions, then no one can.

01708 472791
 
I'm in the same ish kind of situation as you. Been doing this job full time for 15 years now but for my own peace of mind I want to become NVQ L3 qualified. I have no need for it at the moment but really want it. Trying to get answers how to achieve it without an apprenticeship is a nightmare, nobody seems to have the answer!

No answers or no answers you like? What was said?
 
No answers or no answers you like? What was said?

CIPHE said they were putting a programme in place which would cater for the experienced worker, you prove to them you are able to do certain jobs and they pass you off on that section kind of thing. It sounds quite long drawn out but he said by the end of it you'll have the equivilant qualification to the new trailblazer apprentiship.

However, since talking to them I spoke to someone at my local college who had run experienced worker NVQ's previously in other colleges and was keen to help me out. I've got to sit around ten online exams in college, build up a portfolio of work I've carried out with evidence, provide evidence of up to date work (photos and descriptions) and have some on site visits. It should take around three months start to finish and will leave me with my NVQ level 2. The bad bit.......its £1900!!
 
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