Is it really that bad...

[Martin Plummer]

Morning all,

I will say hello first seeing as i'm new to the forum, so hello!

I want to ask all you guys on here whether you are genuinely saying that there is no point in getting into plumbing as its a 'dead trade'? I am 27 and am currently a Police officer in the UK, well sort of, i joined at 17 as a cadet, worked until i was 25, but for the last 2 years or so i have been on a career break from the Police.

Now being in the Police was never really an ambition of mine, i just kind of fell into it due to not being a classroom learning sort of person (i did fine in my GCSE's but a levels weren't for me) and having had some time away from it, i still feel that it is not what i want to do. Before i went away i would have been silly to change as i had a very good pension, however this has now all changed and so i will no longer be on a 30 year pension scheme like the days of old, but rather i will have to work until state pension age (this will be 68 within 5 years time). I do not enjoy my job in the Police anymore, as there is to much bureaucratic s**t nowadays.

I am looking into the possibility of re-training and getting a trade, now i do not expect it to be a straight forward path which i can just walk into, im not that stupid. I know it will take hard work, which i am more that happy to do, but i feel that i would be much happier in my work if i were a plumber, rather than having to deal with the dregs of society on a daily basis. I also don't expect to suddenly be earning 70k a year, so long as i can get to a level where i earn a decent wage (25 - 30k) and i am talking 4-5 years down the line which i think is realistic?? Then i don't mind. My mum once said to me 'being a police officer, you'll never be rich, but you'll never be poor', and it is my feeling/opinion that the same can/could be true for being a plumber, with some hard work of course.

So my question is... Am i completely wrong? as there seems to be a lot of negativity of this forum from people in the trade, which i can understand in terms of the frustrations of people thinking a 6 week course and away we go, but for those of us with realistic expectations, is it possible?

Thanks

Martin Plummer (Yes, that is my real surname... stupid huh!)

 

[dancinplumba]

Hello and welcome along . ​Yes

 

[Martin Plummer]

Hello and welcome along . ​Yes

Hi,

Thanks for the reply, but i'm not sure what the 'yes' was in reply to... Is it 'Yes, it's possible to make a living' or 'Yes, you are completely wrong'

Cheers

Martin

 

[dancinplumba]

it is really really that bad

 

[TBServices]

I have numerous friends in the force, and my advice would be, stick with it. They moan about the same things as you but they're never shy of a bob or 2. One of them moved to a traffic enforcement division and he loves it.

I'd say stick with it, get your full pension then think about doing something else in your early retirement.

 

[AlexGas]

So my question is... Am i completely wrong? as there seems to be a lot of negativity of this forum from people in the trade, which i can understand in terms of the frustrations of people thinking a 6 week course and away we go, but for those of us with realistic expectations, is it possible?

If you want something hard enough, it just gets done. Just enjoy, if you can!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

welcome to the forum ,

I will say go back to college and get more qualifications and get your self growing in the police ......you will never be out of work that way

 

[SafeGasInstall]

just see ho many plumbers are busy in front of there computers

 

[TBServices]

just see ho many plumbers are busy in front of there computers

I'm actually enjoying a late start today. Off to look at a shower now. Laters!

 

[Ray Stafford]

Hi Martin, and welcome to the forum.

The downbeat mob are right in the short term and mid term.

At the risk of repeating myself from other threads (apologies to the regulars), there has been a combination of factors resulting in an oversupply of labour.

1) New build has been in the doldrums for 5 years, so all those blokes have come off site and are fighting to make a living in the domestic sector
2) Immigration has sucked in a large number of east europeans
3) Silly media stories and fast-buck training agencies have encouraged a large number of career changers to try their luck.

Add that to the difficult wider economic climate, and the result is way too many people chasing too little work, causing a downward pressure on price and quality.

Of course it is still possible to make a go of it, there are always exceptions, but its probably the worst possible time in the last few decades to try it.

If I were you I would stay in the police for a couple more years, maybe do an evening course if you can find one that works around your shifts.

 

[Rickster123]

Hi Martin and welcome! I'd swap my job for your pension?! Deal?!

 

[A1P]

Hi Martin,There are a number of threads on this subject which are well worth checking out.There is a lot of realistic/negative advice depending on how you see it ,as well as the go for it if you truly want it.The reply by Ray Stafford is a very balanced reply.The advice to do some training is good and based on that you could undertake small jobs for family and friends which would be a good way to try plumbing out.My son started 6 years ago.He put himself through the local college 1 day a week and after almost 5 years became fully qualified in plumbing and is now Gas Safe registered. We rejected Fast Tracking on grounds of cost and on the basis you could not be qualified in a few weeks, as well as the nightmare stories about some of the colleges.Money was not wasted on advertising as most methods are expensive and not productive.The business is just beginning to make money.He loves the work and is good at it,no callbacks yet!! He has virtually learned on the job + help from experienced plumbers and this site when stuck.He could not yet lead an independent life based on what he earns.Some realistic things to factor in.Holidays 5/6 weeks paid when employed.Every week as self employed £500-800 per week NOT EARNED.Work famine or feast. This is very stressful.People want you to start straight away.Most now haggle however competitive your prices.People wanting to source everything off the internet which is a nightmare for all sorts of reasons.Early years likely to be loss making.Running a van 2/3K per year.Tools -he has all his as birthday /Xmas presents.Must have 3K worth.Power tools ,power flusher/flue gas analyser etc. Some people find working alone not easy.2/3 weeks in the same bathroom is not everyone's idea of fun.If you believe you can deal with these issues then it will be a long term commitment.The best decision he made was to do tiling along with plumbing to get full bathrooms as he worked towards Gas qualification. He will I am sure make a success of it and has the people skills to keep customers which is now paying off with referrals.For someone with family commitments it would be very difficult in the current climate ,which is not going to improve any time soon.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Who is your son ? Is good you have helped him a lot , I just hope he really appreciate it ! Good luck to him he will be ok

 

[Rickster123]

Hi Martin,There are a number of threads on this subject which are well worth checking out.There is a lot of realistic/negative advice depending on how you see it ,as well as the go for it if you truly want it.The reply by Ray Stafford is a very balanced reply.The advice to do some training is good and based on that you could undertake small jobs for family and friends which would be a good way to try plumbing out.My son started 6 years ago.He put himself through the local college 1 day a week and after almost 5 years became fully qualified in plumbing and is now Gas Safe registered. We rejected Fast Tracking on grounds of cost and on the basis you could not be qualified in a few weeks, as well as the nightmare stories about some of the colleges.Money was not wasted on advertising as most methods are expensive and not productive.The business is just beginning to make money.He loves the work and is good at it,no callbacks yet!! He has virtually learned on the job + help from experienced plumbers and this site when stuck.He could not yet lead an independent life based on what he earns.Some realistic things to factor in.Holidays 5/6 weeks paid when employed.Every week as self employed £500-800 per week NOT EARNED.Work famine or feast. This is very stressful.People want you to start straight away.Most now haggle however competitive your prices.People wanting to source everything off the internet which is a nightmare for all sorts of reasons.Early years likely to be loss making.Running a van 2/3K per year.Tools -he has all his as birthday /Xmas presents.Must have 3K worth.Power tools ,power flusher/flue gas analyser etc. Some people find working alone not easy.2/3 weeks in the same bathroom is not everyone's idea of fun.If you believe you can deal with these issues then it will be a long term commitment.The best decision he made was to do tiling along with plumbing to get full bathrooms as he worked towards Gas qualification. He will I am sure make a success of it and has the people skills to keep customers which is now paying off with referrals.For someone with family commitments it would be very difficult in the current climate ,which is not going to improve any time soon.

Lovely post and good sensible advice.

 

[Martin Plummer]

I have numerous friends in the force, and my advice would be, stick with it. They moan about the same things as you but they're never shy of a bob or 2. One of them moved to a traffic enforcement division and he loves it.

I'd say stick with it, get your full pension then think about doing something else in your early retirement.

Early retirement.. that'd be nice, unfortunately it no longer exists, when i joined we were promised a 30 year pension that wouldn't change, shockingly change in gov has meant change in pension, which therefore means working in the force until 68 for a lesser pension, i personally think there are more changes to come as well, none of them good, hence wanting out.

Thanks for all the other replies, A1P and Ray Stafford thanks for the balanced posts, i think the best idea is going to be try going at it part time at first then go from there, i know i will like the work as i have done bits a pieces of plumbing in the past for family etc, just bathrooms etc and i can honestly say i have never had that kind of job satisfaction from the Police.

Martin

 

[A1P]

Thank you for the kind comments .I hope I am not in trouble for nicking my lad's profile.His experience seemed relevant and so many people come on the forum asking about jobs in the trade.I hoped I might make a useful contribution.I am retired and spend a fair amount on here and the Tiling Forum.This is ironic because I was a 'white collar worker' and do not have a practical bone in my body.Back to the thread subject.Anyone thinking of going into the trade should realise this forum is 'gold dust'.There is a vast amount of technical help and also business does and don'ts. How to avoid scams.How to avoid wasting money on expensive advertising etc.If he encountered any problem it was 'check it out on the forum'.This still applies because you are always learning.
One point I forget to mention in my original post was the difficulty of getting work placements to support your qualification.Hard and getting harder.This was one of the worst 'cons' of fast tracking.
Back to 'Carry on lurking'.

 

[turnpin]

Hello MP and welcome I think you are young enough to do this I must add some good advice given in reply to your question and I also think if you can juggle your current job with a college course you will I`m sure reach your goal it`s very hard at the moment in this industry and as stated before it can be an uphill struggle to find work that can pay the rewards you need to earn just to stay afloat .Best of luck with your endeavors regards turnpin

 

[tamz]

Work in this trade will mean working till you drop and your body gives way. There will be very little if any pension at the end of it because you need to pay into it yourself and live to be 100 just to get your money back on anything you do pay in.
There is always the chance you will qualify for some invalidity benifit because you will have some very genuine disabling ailments.
But it is not all bad :smile:

 

[dancinplumba]

Work in this trade will mean working till you drop and your body gives way. There will be very little if any pension at the end of it because you need to pay into it yourself and live to be 100 just to get your money back on anything you do pay in.
There is always the chance you will qualify for some invalidity benifit because you will have some very genuine disabling ailments.
But it is not all bad :smile:

said by a true plumber

 

[lame plumber]

Work in this trade will mean working till you drop and your body gives way. There will be very little if any pension at the end of it because you need to pay into it yourself and live to be 100 just to get your money back on anything you do pay in.
There is always the chance you will qualify for some invalidity benifit because you will have some very genuine disabling ailments.
But it is not all bad :smile:

gave up on pensions 10 years ago, paid in 4k worth 2k!!!!!!!!!!!
already limping might go for that at retirement
poor old tamz, he has to live with his accent for life (only joking, mother in law was a true scot, actually miss that voice now going och och och)

 

[Rob Sale]

Being an Ex bobby you'll be better off going into the private security contractors companies. G4s and phoenix provide training courses [DLMURL="http://www.g4s.com/en-GB/United%20Kingdom/What%20we%20do/Services/Employment%20services%20and%20training/Range%20of%20courses/Phoenix%20CP%20and%20Tier%20One%20Medic%20Courses/"]Phoenix Close Protection[/DLMURL]

They always look for ex bobbies for management roles and adviser roles, good money if you get put into some dump. £600 plus a day.

 

[downthesouth]

I have been in a similar position to you. I worked in retail 5 years ago, my father has been in the trade for 40 years. I got fed up with retail and decided to follow my father.
I have lost count of the number of times I thought of jacking this trade in, mucking things up, nasty customers and the like.
If you REALLY want it then go for it. Its hard at the moment. If you go for it have realistic expectations, learn all you can, show humlilty and take as many courses as you can. The more professional you can be (i.e tickets for various disciplines) the best chance you will have. Dont go into it thinking you will earn mega-bucks truth is you will burn out with that approach. And be prepared for it to take over your life whilst you are learning. You WILL have crap days, you WILL have great days. Research the trade throughly before you make a choice!! Its not all a bed of roses but its certaintly not all doom and gloom.
I know now if I jacked it in I would of regretted it!
All the Best.

 

[Mike Jackson]

It's not all doom and gloom out there but it's not easy.

I started out with the family business back in 1982. Due to various issues we closed the business down in 2006 and I got a job. I was made redundant in December 2011 and started back on my own in January 2013. I'm now ticking along nicely making a reasonable living from it.

Having said that I had some very big advantages over a new entrant to the industry.

1. I already had most of the tools I needed and a vehicle that I could use because, when we closed the family business down, my Father and I kept most of the tools and I retained the land Rover that I used when we had the business. The land rover lasted me a year before I needed to change it so probably of similar value to a £500 van (still got the LR but it's a bit too small for my needs really). A quick check shows that I bought around 10k worth of tools into the business with me. A new starter would not need to spend this much on tools but it gives me the ability to take on jobs where others may not have the equipment. For instance how many new starters have an electric pipe freezer or a roof ladder or a flip over saw etc.

2. I was made redundant so had around £10k that I could use to help start up the business and buy the few bits of equipment that I didn't already have. I also used some of the money to undertake more training courses that extended my range and gave me the edge over other gas engineers in the area. Despite this extra funding I still came close to folding as I was brushing my overdraft limit when a big job came along and saved the day.

3. Experience. I've got over thirty years experience in the industry. Most people will choose experience over youth. More importantly I'm good at what I do and reasonably quick. That might sound a bit self important but it's an important part of why I've succeeded where others have failed. I've very quickly got a reputation for doing a good job at a reasonable price and I'll take on stuff that other people have failed at and succeed. I'm quite often not the first plumber that has attended a problem but when I solve it I'm then the first one they call next time and the one that they recommend to their friends and family. I've already got a couple of local plumbing firms that will pass work my way if they feel they will get out of their depth.

4. Nearly forgot this one. When we closed the business down we kept one of the plumb centre account running so when I started back up again I already had a line of credit so didn't need to pay for materials up front. The good credit history of this account which has been running for over 40 years made it easier when I opened accounts with other merchants. The firm I was working for used Plumb Center and I was regularly in my local branch so, despite the account being used infrequently for 6 year, I was in regular contact with the staff and maintained my rapport with them which gave me immediate access to the best prices they could offer. In addition to this the assistant manger of one of the local independents is a friend so I had immediate access to their best prices.

5. I'm a member of a few dog training clubs, some conservation groups and active within the local photography community so a lot of people already knew and trusted me and when I started back on my own my first customers came from within this group who knew nothing of my workmanship but trusted me as a person.


To summon up. Even with the equivalent of £25K backing me and other advantages I came close to the line despite thirty years of experience.

 

[thompsonbrown]

hi Martin.
your post says a lot about you, and in my opinion before changing career it makes good sense to look around and ask questions about a trade you could be in for the rest of your life. first i would ask my-self, do i want to be a plumber, am i quite good with my hands. can i afford to change my career. if yes to above there are several options for you to chose.
1. paying to complete a intensive course. "not the best way in my opinion" but if you are quite a practical bloke its the quickest way to earning a half decent wage. a lot of companies especially agencies will take on new staff purely based on qualifications but will expect you to do the job from day. And get rid just as quick.
2. Find a company who is willing to take on an older apprentice. There are grants available to company's who take on mature students around £1500 p/a. This is the way i would choose if i was serious about a new career theres nothing like on site experience along with collage.
3. find a plumbing company and offer to work unpaid to gain experience. this way will give you a incite into plumbing and a chance to find out quickly if plumbings for you. Also if its a good company they might respect your approach in finding a job.
these are a few avenues you could try. but gathering as much knowledge as possible before making such a career change is probably the best advice i could give.
I wish you all the best.

Richard Brown

 

[lame plumber]

been at it 10 years now and last years been the hardest yet, not helped by a crock set of knees and spinal injury resulting in time off. having said that last 2 weeks have been ott with more work than I expected, so set me up nicely for another 2 weeks off post knee op. Its not easy but is rewarding when all goes well.

 

[sam51]

why is it that everyone who wants to change their employment.wants to be a plumber.
surely with the op first post,that if you are policeman.there must be a whole lot of avenues to go down,
with out going near the building trade.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Cos we earn more then £100,000.00 a year