28 & Needing an Apprenticeship course.

[a17esh]

Hello

I am looking to become a plumber, wanted to do it from 16 but ended up going to uni instead. Looking back wish I took the other route....office work does my head in haha!

I don't really want to take short cuts and I am willing to go to college....of course a work-based course would help me a lot. The thing is I am 28!

How does the employer get funded? Do they just pay the course....if so I could pay the course and be happy to work on minmum wage while I learn and work.... or does it not work like that?

Any help, tips and tricks would be great.

 

[gassafe]

I think at 28 there will be no funding! I did mine at 19 and had to fork it all out myself! It will make getting an apprenticeship harder because of your age employers may have to pay you minimum wage, where as an apprentice they can pay half that... It's going to be tough in my opinion!

 

[gassafe]

If you wanted to do it at 16 then why did you go to uni... ?

 

[Rickster123]

If you wanted to do it at 16 then why did you go to uni... ?

For the women and beer!!

 

[aligorgon]

You maybe better off looking at commercial plumbers and pipefitting firms.

I got out the office game at 27 jacked in and went labouring on sites got talking to the plumbers and pipefitters on site, and they gave me a contact in the office, had an interview but had to wait 6mths for a job to come available.

They took me on as an adult trainee and when it came round to september enrolled me on a heating and vent course 4yrs. 1day a week.

Being in room full of 16yr olds was a PITA but did nvq 2+3 and then limited scope commercial gas, spoke to employer and they then agreed to put me through full scope gas, boilers, and domestic changeover, boilers, fires, cookers etc.

My employer got no funding for me to do any of this and i had to sign an agreement stating i would stay for x amount of yrs after completing college.

Although they got no funding for me and had to pay me more, (see HVCA payrates), i was also more eager to learn, was more mature, could get out of bed on time, didnt mope about with hands in pockets and after 1yr was sent out on my own jobs starting small and increasing in size. I know they made thier investment back tenfold.

Its not to late for you but you will struggle getting a soletrader to take you on i think..

 

[a17esh]

Its been good reading.

I got in touch with a college today, they said I could start NVQ L2, I may have to seek voluntary work...hopefully paid to complete the course then start L3........... then do I do Gas Safe on top of that?

How does that seem to you guys?

Like the idea of commercial too.



I went to uni for beer and girls for sure haha. Back in the day i wasnt very good....or I didnt realise how good I was with hands on work.... I now can rebuild cars...rebuild engines etc etc....so thought nows the time before it is too late.

 

[aligorgon]

Yeah the time is right mate! Whereabouts are you?

 

[Bob Hill]

Hi, mate, i'm in a similar boat to you except about 2 and a half years ahead of you, so here's the things I wish I could have said to myself back then.

- Getting work experience, even offering yourself for free is much harder than you might expect, getting work experience that is reliable enough for you to get the NVQ stuff signed off is even harder. I've managed to find a guy to get experience with but he doesn't regularly do the work I'd need to do to get signed off. I said to myself, well it only takes one person to give you a go, but actually that's not quite true, and even then it's still hard to get anyone to give you a go.

- Don't believe anything that anyone offering training tells you - or rather get clued up on the types of training available and where from so you spend your money on the right thing.

- You don't just need plumbing skills to be a useful plumber -a bit of wood work, some tilling, some building. Try to build up all sorts of constructions skills.

- I've found the biggest barrier to me getting an apprenticeship or training position has been the my age and the fact i've got a degree. This means first that companies can't get any funding for you and second that they have to pay you more due to your age. Both these factors sadly mean that companies aren't really interested in taking people like you and me on (in my experience anyway).

- It's a long slog, you need to just keep trying different things, do work for friends and family to get the experience.

- Other people on the NVQ course will (I reckon) never become plumbers - why? Because they have financial responsibilities which mean they just don't have the time or freedom to get work experience, to look for jobs, to work for free. If you can't afford to work for free or not work at all then it probably won't happen.

I don't want to discourage you - just to help you think about the possibilities.

 

[a17esh]

Bob.....what you have said is been a great help....fully understand it is going to be a HUGE hard find to complete the NVQ, even working for free is very tough.

I was talking to the finance team at college and they said I would be able to get an apprentership. The course would be £400, payable by the employer (although I am willing to pay this back) and £1500 towards grant to whoever employs me.

They did day because I would be an apprentice, I would only be able to get 2.65 for the first year....then minimum wage would kick in after I have my NVQ L2........this all sounds great if I can find someone to employ me.

Bob, you mention you found it hard to get your work signed off, any reasons for this....and your right, don't beleve anything that anyone tells you....stick by that rule!


How is work for you now? Lots of it still around?

 

[a17esh]

Yeah the time is right mate! Whereabouts are you?

I am based in Lincoln.

 

[aligorgon]

2.68???? Minimum wage???

Search for hvca companies in ure area and ring them these are the current rates letter jcc108 i think..


B&ES :: Wages & Salary Standards

 

[a17esh]

I am sure thats what the college said, if you are an apprentice thats the wage for the first year..... OR maybe she said you will be on min wage then after your first year it will go up....the latter seems more true.

 

[Bob Hill]

Hi again,

I'm not quite sure what you meant when you said the college talked about £1500 towards a grant - I've been told because I have a degree than any employer simply wouldn't be able to get a grant so if the college told you that a company could get a grant for you then to my understanding they are mistaken.

On the getting stuff signed off these are the issues I have faced or feel exist:

1. Not all plumbers have an nvq2 or 5 years experience so they can't serve as a work place assessor.

2. Plumbing is often all about speed - get in get out get to the next job, having someone who is probably slower and having to wait around for some bloke to come and take some pictures takes time, which lots of plumbers don't have or can't be bothered to give.

3. You need a plumber who works in specific types of job e.g. bathroom installs and heating installs - one who does boilers is no use in terms of getting stuff signed off as there is no boiler aspect of the NVQ 2.

4. Two of the assesment parts (out of five, or which you have to do at least 3) are drainage and guttering. Not many plumbers do guttering as far as i'm aware and the drainage assessment includes putting in a soil stack which will usually only be done on new builds. This means you're limited on what you can realistically get assessed on.

In terms of work, i've just set up on my own and do a few bits with a friend. I'm getting about 1 job every 2 weeks (i work in a care home as well). It's picking up slowly or at least feels like it.

 

[a17esh]

Aghh I will take this up with the college, thanks for the heads up.

1 job every two week is not a lot. How are you getting your name about?

Maybe I could help with a few pointers?

..

 

[Bob Hill]

Any pointers gladly recived.

I've got a website which is about 400 on Google - but i'm going to get round to doing more work on that eventually.

It's mainly word of mouth and recommendation as well as looking for oppertunities when chatting with people. Got some work this week just by mentioning I was a plumber when someone was talking about thier leaky sink. I recognise it will take time but my aim is to do a quality job for people so they'll call me back next time.