Pplumbing career

[cwoodrow]

Hello everyone, I've just joined the forum and was hoping your experience will help me with a career decision.

I'm sure you get asked this question a great many times - I'm looking to change career and have started researching gaining the professionally required skills needed to become a fully qualified plumber. But, before venturing down this road, I wanted to ask whether plumbing was an over saturated trade. Are there a large number of recently qualified plumbers out of work? Is there still a large demand for plumbers? I seem to be getting mixed information.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Best
Craig

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

there wuill always be a demnd for the plumber but as with most trades the recession has hit, you have to look gfor the work at the moment more rather than the work finding you

dont believe the press that you can earn £80k a year

 

[cwoodrow]

Hi Plumbstar Tom

Thank you for the quick reply. I keep reading that there's more supply than demand. Is it a good profession to enter? I always liked the idea that the success was down to how hard you are prepared to work. Do you think going it alone when only just qualified is too risky?

 

[johnmcginty]

hello mate, around 40000 pepole a year get a 6129 tech cert especially on fast track I would say around 10% actually end up as a plumber. If you are a hard worker and persistent then it could work allthough don't think you will be on £40000 after a ten week course and flyering at the weekends. If anyone knows what button to press to stop this itallic writing please let me know . thanks.

 

[cwoodrow]

hello mate, around 40000 pepole a year get a 6129 tech cert especially on fast track I would say around 10% actually end up as a plumber. If you are a hard worker and persistent then it could work allthough don't think you will be on £40000 after a ten week course and flyering at the weekends. If anyone knows what button to press to stop this itallic writing please let me know . thanks.

Hi john

Thank you for your reply. I hear what you're saying and I'm definitley not looking for an overnight success - I'm in it for the long haul - do you think that only 10% end up as plumbers because of the lack of work or the lack of stamina?

 

[johnmcginty]

Lack of money, business sense , common sense, realism, motivation, foresight, persistence and confidence and there is also a lack of work compared to three years ago and many simply go bust in their first year because of the overheads and difficulty in getting a customer base . Now a lot of plumbers are trying to compete just to get the work in. As a customer it is not hard to find a plumber so what seperates you from the rest of the crowd? it won't be money .

 

[cwoodrow]

Lack of money, business sense , common sense, realism, motivation, foresight, persistence and confidence and there is also a lack of work compared to three years ago and many simply go bust in their first year because of the overheads and difficulty in getting a customer base . Now a lot of plumbers are trying to compete just to get the work in. As a customer it is not hard to find a plumber so what seperates you from the rest of the crowd? it won't be money .

That's a good question. And I'm doing my research to be able to answer that. At the moment my business sense (and business support), common sense, work ethic, motivation, realism (which I'm slowly gathering through research), persistence, ideas and confidence are high - that doesn't make me unique but then again most jobs you have to work extremely hard in to succeed and stand out in. Thank you for your frank and honest answers - i'm hoping you'll answer any other queries I have with the same bluntness - I appreciate it.

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

i tihnk people do the course and expect wads of money to be handed to them daily for changing a tap washer

There is no reason why you cant go solo after qualifying its just about confidence and ability!

 

[Bernie2]

The thing is, the amount of work available is usually decide by market conditions not Plumbers.

And yes there does seem to be loads of Plumbers coming on stream. The thing to ask is "Is there enough work for them?"

At the moment mortgages are tight, so house building is slow, which means less Plumbers are required for house building. And those who where working on house building are looking elsewhere for Plumbing work, perhaps increasing competition in all areas.

There are also cut backs all round, which can mean maintenance and repair work is kept to a minimum. So regular cyclical maintenance work may be effected

The government is going to cut budgets, so all their work on roads, schools and the like is slowing, gone or delayed. I don't know about hospitals.

Many people seem set to be out of work and pensions cut back. The pensioners give out loads of work and if pensions are reduced so the work slows there.

It all adds up to a slow moving short term outlook for Plumbers and many others.

The problem is of course, less work and more Plumbers means lower prices. But unless you are interested in Plumbing and do not see it only as a money making opportunity, then go ahead.

 

[cwoodrow]

Re: Plumbing career

Another thing I wanted to ask (before entering the trade) was the trend patterns. I appreciate that we've gone from a boom to bust economy, but what are the plumbing trends? Has there been a time when the market has been over saturated with plumbers out of work, who then return to other jobs creating an opening in plumbing work? As the recession ends do jobs start to become more regular and with so many people leaving the trade is that not creating a 'lack' of plumbers?