Hi all I've recently completed my nvq level 2 (6189-21) in plumbing and heating. I have been working for less than minimum wage to gain experience and to prove my competence in the field. I would like to move on to level 3 or my gas qualifications as I have been working on boilers, fires and cookers. My boss isn't to keen due to maybe having to pay me more. I need a course in the Birmingham area that can be attended on the evenings or weekends? Any info people have to offer would be appreciated thanks.
Discuss Level 3 plumbing and gas courses... in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net
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Speak to JTL they have a new training centre up that way & they also deal with colleges/training providers.
Do the Level 3 if you can as it includes un-vented water regs & lots lots more it is not at all like the level 2.
electrical apprenticeships | plumbing apprenticeships | JTL
Do the Level 3 if you can as it includes un-vented water regs & lots lots more it is not at all like the level 2.
electrical apprenticeships | plumbing apprenticeships | JTL
Robert Tyrrell
Gas Engineer
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You could also try this lot:
ERR limited
They've got a centre in Wolverhampton and they've just taken over the OLCI training group.
ERR limited
They've got a centre in Wolverhampton and they've just taken over the OLCI training group.
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How did you get on with JTL ?
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They will be doing Level 3 soon (possible next year) but still you need to speak to a training officer as JTL plumbing students sign up to complete level 3 not just 2. They will be using one of your local colleges or a training centre like us for the off site stuff.
We take student on who have completed the Level 2 at other places & they come to us just for the Level 3 often travelling across London but I guess we are a tad to far from you to come once a week.
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Just a bit far really lol. Ideally I would like to get cracking with the level 3 this year so that by the end of next year I'm gas safe. It's hard to find level 3 on a evening course.
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I would think it's near impossible to find a Level 3 that does the gas units let alone in the evenings. It would be at least two years long, possible two nights a week.
Most training colleges I know do not do the gas cos of the onsite evidence, they do something like the solar (& tag the gas on as an option after the end of the course).
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I know you are working with gas but so many don't or at least not enough of the time.
With the gas option the 6189 is well over two year long, one 8 hour day per week.
We don't have half terms & just the four weeks in summer & we do the core & solar option in 18 months but its a lot to get through, I work 'em hard.
If you are only doing 3-4 hours in an evening it's going to take a while.
N
newcastle phill
Why bother with level 3. Not many gas engineers are.
Use your 6189 to upskill as a cat2 and spend the money you would have spent on the level 3 on the upskill course.
I did level 3. At the end you still aren't gas safe, as a cat2 upskill you will be
Use your 6189 to upskill as a cat2 and spend the money you would have spent on the level 3 on the upskill course.
I did level 3. At the end you still aren't gas safe, as a cat2 upskill you will be
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You seem to be implying phill that to reach the status of gas engineer is the top of the tree ???
Not many gas engineers can correctly size a heat emitter either !!
What is level 3 if not an "upskill course" then ??
We use to call gas & pipe fitters "plumbers with half a brain" when I were younger !!!!!!
Pulls pin, throws it in & retires quickly out of reach :boxing_smiley:
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N
newcastle phill
Because having a level 3 is not pre requisite to being a gas engineer.
But it would have limited advantages if one was to go into management or do a year at Uni and convert it into a degree.
The OP intimated he wanted to work with gas ? I was merely pointing out that level 3 is neither the quickest nor cheapest route into it.
So many places give bad advise re training and courses..
Top of the tree hehee.
Yeh right up there
But it would have limited advantages if one was to go into management or do a year at Uni and convert it into a degree.
The OP intimated he wanted to work with gas ? I was merely pointing out that level 3 is neither the quickest nor cheapest route into it.
So many places give bad advise re training and courses..
Top of the tree hehee.
Yeh right up there
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E
Ermintrude
Phil there is a whisper going round that your a mackem and drink bass shandy ? Quickest and easiest isn't always best. Bit like going doon bigg market on the pull.
N
newcastle phill
Cheapest ermy cheapest not easiest
Nowts easy
If I put myself in their shoes for a minute I imagine id feel rather more at ease to admitting that i rented my back door for fun than admitting to being a mackem.
For the record just to be clear on this as I feel im digging a hole here with my terminology. .
I am not and i do not.
Nowts easy
If I put myself in their shoes for a minute I imagine id feel rather more at ease to admitting that i rented my back door for fun than admitting to being a mackem.
For the record just to be clear on this as I feel im digging a hole here with my terminology. .
I am not and i do not.
What is a cat 2 up skill? I only want the level 3 as I was advised this included the gas. Also the extra plumbing knowledge would be a great help. The company I currently work for does a variety of jobs including complete bathroom installations to combi swaps, which I enjoy. Unfortunately the boss wants me to earn £50 a day for the quite foreseeable future. I can't afford to work for that so I'm trying to find the right route to go down.
Any nay advice would be appreciated.
N
newcastle phill
Level 3 does not include full gas. If you are referring to the latest city and guilds 6035 level 3. I just spent nigh on 2 years doing it.
You touch on gas and cover all the principles such as purging, pipe sizing, flueing and ventilation, gas rates and heat input, ntcs, id, , part L etc, G3, vitiation gas controls and spillage testing etc. and the course in general is heavily theory based with no practical worth talking about. I sat 6 gas exam papers which are on file for whatever reason and passed them all. They are however worthless at this point.
They are identical to the ACS papers, and I know that because we had a gas safe lad on our course who was wanting to move into training and be needed his level 3 and teacher training, we picked his brains and he said they were identical.
Also they were adjudicated amongst others by 2 well known gas safe assessors in the north east who take the re-acs etc.
But you would still have to find a placement at the end with a gas engineer and all of the details regarding what aspects of practical gas work undertaken recorded and the final ACS week paid for in addition and sat at further expense (including exam papers)
We did ask what courses follow ours on and they said nothing that they do, just uni.
That was gateshead college.
Im my opinion I am pleased I did the level 3.
We were told, perhaps as you were we would be doing gas and we were led to believe we would be qualified at the end....but we are not qualified at the end lol.
But it depends on the individual, if you want to get into gas quick, then the level 3 is not the fastest route, if you dont mind spending a further 2 years plus studying as I have then thats fine too.
The advantage of the level 3 is that with a year at uni, what I might do at some point, I can convert it into a degree for building services etc.
Cat 2 upskill is for people who hold the full level 2 6189 who are generally wet plumber's. Google it.
You touch on gas and cover all the principles such as purging, pipe sizing, flueing and ventilation, gas rates and heat input, ntcs, id, , part L etc, G3, vitiation gas controls and spillage testing etc. and the course in general is heavily theory based with no practical worth talking about. I sat 6 gas exam papers which are on file for whatever reason and passed them all. They are however worthless at this point.
They are identical to the ACS papers, and I know that because we had a gas safe lad on our course who was wanting to move into training and be needed his level 3 and teacher training, we picked his brains and he said they were identical.
Also they were adjudicated amongst others by 2 well known gas safe assessors in the north east who take the re-acs etc.
But you would still have to find a placement at the end with a gas engineer and all of the details regarding what aspects of practical gas work undertaken recorded and the final ACS week paid for in addition and sat at further expense (including exam papers)
We did ask what courses follow ours on and they said nothing that they do, just uni.
That was gateshead college.
Im my opinion I am pleased I did the level 3.
We were told, perhaps as you were we would be doing gas and we were led to believe we would be qualified at the end....but we are not qualified at the end lol.
But it depends on the individual, if you want to get into gas quick, then the level 3 is not the fastest route, if you dont mind spending a further 2 years plus studying as I have then thats fine too.
The advantage of the level 3 is that with a year at uni, what I might do at some point, I can convert it into a degree for building services etc.
Cat 2 upskill is for people who hold the full level 2 6189 who are generally wet plumber's. Google it.
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newcastle phill
Yes. In essence.
If you have the full nvq 2 and access to a gas engineer. You can enter gas via cat 2.
If you have the full nvq 2 and access to a gas engineer. You can enter gas via cat 2.
Yes that is what I have. I also work with a gas engineer bit he's reluctant to help cos he thinks I want top dollar straight away.
N
newcastle phill
You still need to learn all the basic foundation upon which the principles of gas operate tho.
Dont be under any illusion that it will be easy as you will have no structured training on the theory side.
Without that you will have great difficulty passing the papers.
They are not easy and some gas lads dont even pass on re-acs.
But providing you can, then cat 2 is an option
Dont be under any illusion that it will be easy as you will have no structured training on the theory side.
Without that you will have great difficulty passing the papers.
They are not easy and some gas lads dont even pass on re-acs.
But providing you can, then cat 2 is an option
I don't think it will be easy so I have already been reading my corgi book
email received from below: I asked if level 2 has to be completed prior.
Dear Paul
Thank you for contacting City & Guilds Customer Services .
If the individual is a competent level 3 candidate then it is possible. This would be the decision making of the college or training centre that one applies to as they will all have their measure of determining whether they can place a learner on a level 3.
Dear Paul
Thank you for contacting City & Guilds Customer Services .
If the individual is a competent level 3 candidate then it is possible. This would be the decision making of the college or training centre that one applies to as they will all have their measure of determining whether they can place a learner on a level 3.
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Seems to be a bit of a minefield.
My nipper has done all NVQ level 2 except final Gola and booth work.
So it’s starting from scratch, as the above is as good as a chocolate teapot.
The best way forward that I see, is: find a good engineer, be their fetch and carry brush monkey for the first year (LEARN), during that period discuss just what’s the best way forward exam wise. We know Part P is one of the courses to do.
What we’ve learned from using the forum is: too many are too keen to run before they can walk.
Find a good engineer, chill-out and learn from them.
Slow and steady.
My nipper has done all NVQ level 2 except final Gola and booth work.
So it’s starting from scratch, as the above is as good as a chocolate teapot.
The best way forward that I see, is: find a good engineer, be their fetch and carry brush monkey for the first year (LEARN), during that period discuss just what’s the best way forward exam wise. We know Part P is one of the courses to do.
What we’ve learned from using the forum is: too many are too keen to run before they can walk.
Find a good engineer, chill-out and learn from them.
Slow and steady.
N
newcastle phill
Gola has now been abolished and something else instead across the whole course instead of final gola
C
careygambino
Hi I've only passed the nvql2 tech 6129 I did this In college city of Bristol 2011 but just can't seem to get any further with it and plumbing is what I really want to do in my life. I ring up employers and big firms and they never have anything to offer. What's the best foot path to get up in the plumbing game. I feel gutted I can't do what I enjoy.
You could do the 6035 on an evening course then transfer to the 6189
Nobody should be led to believe that the 6035 will make you gas safe registered. In fact the 6035 is not aligned to any competence person schemes, contains a unit on furthering your career all for good reason. It is aimed at and for people not working in the industry, to ensure it is fit for purpose and achievable by inexperienced people it doesnt contain content that would be difficult to achieve if not working in the industry. If it did lead to CPS then employers would see it as a shortcut, it doesnt and therefore employers respect it more knowing a candidate has to develop and be assessed further to progress to 6189 or/and ACS
theres no gas practical assessment in 6035 but i would expect learners to do some practical training to help with understanding, then be assessed theory only as foundation knowledge for ACS later should they progress
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Seems to me, based on the above, there is very little reason why anyone would want to take the 6035 Level 3 then?
Plumbing & Heating to level 2 without on-site experience I understand but Level 3, it is just not possible to have a full understanding & make sense of the subject without the ability to apply what is being taught to what is seen & done on-site.
Somebody wanting to learn further skills, develop a deeper understanding, learn new skills will definitely benefit from doing the L3. It contains centre based practical so as with the L2 it does give the learner the prospect of applying knowledge in simulated activities.
This is then a good base line for learners to apply these skills on-site and upgrade to the NVQ Diploma. Its a very good system that benefits learners and employers who wish to take somebody on who has learnt the base knowledge and wishes to build upon it. A very good system when understood, often misrepresented which is a shame.
In future vocational education will play a larger part in post 16 full time education, so centre based learning is here to stay, some people are against it but it wont go away, best to make it work and fit into the apprenticeship and support industry, any amount of personal resentment of these courses will not change government initiatives
In addition, Im not quite sure I follow the reasoning behind this course not being suitable at L3 but thinking L2 is. L2 contains many practical skills where being employed in the industry would be very benficial to help develop those skills, were L3 has more knowledge of systems, regulations and generally more theory than practical. Given that many designers enter at L3 standard (Nat Cert in BSE) and go onto degrees and to design these systems including reference to water regs etc. without any practical experience it suggests L3 is more understandable for a non employed learner than L2.
We have to understand that these are not apprenticeship courses, not claimed to be, not designed to be and serve a different purpose. They are very valuable if used for their intentions
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Ideally someone would be L2 qualified, it may be in some rare instances that someone is educated and experienced to that level without being qualified, if so and this can be demonstrated then maybe they could go straight to L3?
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Talk about, talking the talk but not understanding walk.
I know now that I made the right move to get out of teaching!
So let me get this straight, your now saying that a Level 3 plumbing course is for designers?
Not been a plumbing apprentice yourself then Kay ?
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L2 qualified? Mmmm.
Any kid working full time with a half decent plumber/gas fitter doing various jobs over a 2 month period would be far more qualified than any kid doing the college, "Let's get the hoodies of the streets and keep the dole levels down," Level 2.
Excluding lead work that's a FACT.
Go and ask any level2 to take a photograph of the manifold before you start working on it, and he'll have his head under your vans bonnet.
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