Career change /Fast track

[solutions]

What is the general consensus regarding career change late entry fast track course engineers? Wondering how many gsr forum members with access to the arms have entered the trade via this route. I have although my journey started a fair few years ago now.

 

[woodsy]

Dependant on the individual really, but as a general rule of thumb would say that the courses are very limited and a lot of the people entering them are chasing the myth of gas engineers earning 100k a year. Many people come out of them with a piece of paper, can't get a start with anybody, start on there own and experiment on the general public which in my opinion leads to a dumbing down of the profession.
Having said all that, there are some people who come on here and have entered the trade via that route who I would be happy to employ. There are some who entered via the traditional route who I wouldnt let carry my tool bass.

 

[JAH HEATING]

My cousin is a plumber, worked with me loads on jobs.

passed his acs couple of months ago, he's now working in jaguar pipe fitting.

i think ye mad to put yerself through doing ye gas ticket if ye new, too many people have got it sewn up if you're trying to start off, you'd need to go cards in IMO an some of the prices people pay, I'd rather work in Tescos.

 

[WaterTight]

I've a related question to ask: Do we think the fast track bubble has burst?

When I first joined this forum it was a buzz topic. Nowadays it's rarely mentioned. Obviously lots of people went through the centers and are now working/competing/try to but do we reckon far fewer are being trained in them now? Or has everyone just got used to it and stopped mentioning it?

 

[Killy Bing]

I think people google it now, find this forum and see our views and find others saying how they wasted months of time and savings.

I know three people who did it at about 6k a pop. None of them stayed in the industry

 

[jefaz]

I did after leaving the army in 2006. I got a place with the local council (my dad was a hight up in a different department) and knew the gas manager. I was lucky and given uniform and all sorts,worked there for 18 months unpaid as I didn't want to just jump in without knowing anything. It was planned over 12 months and I saved money to live during that period. I got a start about 5 weeks after my ACS and now I work for Transco. I think I went about It the right way,plenty research and a lot if hard graft and hard times with no wages. But I know it was right for me,I'm here now and probably here for a long time. It pays really well too.

 

[Leo21]

I think people google it now, find this forum and see our views and find others saying how they wasted months of time and savings.

I know three people who did it at about 6k a pop. None of them stayed in the industry

Thats because it's a carp job. As said above, some of these late starters are annoyingly good. And some seem to have have more confidence than skill.

 

[cr0ft]

I am one of the 'fast trackers' and I did my c&g 6129 level 2 domestic plumbing course whilst still in the military. I found it a huge challenge going self employed straight off this course, but I could not afford to work for free for any length of time.

I was determined to learn the trade though and put in a lot of my own time reading, practising at home and learning the hard way too.

you get idiots through into the trade from both training methods. The person and their attitude to work is much more important than how they are trained in my opinion.

 

[jefaz]

I am one of the 'fast trackers' and I did my c&g 6129 level 2 domestic plumbing course whilst still in the military. I found it a huge challenge going self employed straight off this course, but I could not afford to work for free for any length of time.

I was determined to learn the trade though and put in a lot of my own time reading, practising at home and learning the hard way too.

you get idiots through into the trade from both training methods. The person and their attitude to work is much more important than how they are trained in my opinion.

Its oue military background. Good work ethic

 

[Ray Stafford]

Once you know something, how you acquired that knowledge is irrelevant.

If you are planning to go self employed, attitude and personality are key - they can't be learned, and tbh don't change much after the age of about 20.

I know some technically skilled plumbers who could no more run a business than I could play a violin concerto.

Having said that, it does make me chuckle when I see people who really think that 6 or 10 weeks is enough to learn about plumbing. Its a trade, in which it takes about 10,000 hours to become an expert - the same length of time that it takes to become expert at many other things.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

I thought about fast track but decided on night school. Did small jobs and got experience with others. Still doing small jobs and if not confident ask a mate to help me out.

Regarding gas, I'm looking to do this next year but again I'm not looking to do the course and get portfolio in weeks/ few months.

I'd rather it take a year or more so I'm confident.

That's just me.

Rct

 

[cr0ft]

Its oue military background. Good work ethic

I would agree. My apprentice is ex military as is the plasterer I use on larger jobs. I know I can trust both of them to not let me down basically.

not qualities unique to people who have served in the military but very hard to find outside of it in my experience.

 

[Ray Stafford]

I've a related question to ask: Do we think the fast track bubble has burst?

I think that the bubble has burst in the sense of numbers and naivity. There was a period a while ago where these training agencies seemed to be opening up everywhere.

However, I do think that there are some fundamental changes to the way training is structured.

<starts hovis music>
Back in the day, you either started training to be a plumber when you left school, or it didn't happen. Apprentices were teenagers, end of. Same thing applied to most people - they picked a career (or it picked them) and thats what they did for life.
<hovis music grinds to a tuneless halt>

Its not like that now, I'm pleased to say.

People do have the opportunity to change careers which is a good thing. However they are not realistically going to live like 17yr olds when they are 34, married with 3 kids and a mortgage.

So the structures of training (and re-training) are going to have to flex quite a lot to accommodate a workforce that does not expect to do the same job from 18 to 80.

 

[solutions]

I think that the bubble has burst in the sense of numbers and naivity. There was a period a while ago where these training agencies seemed to be opening up everywhere.

However, I do think that there are some fundamental changes to the way training is structured.

<starts hovis music>
Back in the day, you either started training to be a plumber when you left school, or it didn't happen. Apprentices were teenagers, end of. Same thing applied to most people - they picked a career (or it picked them) and thats what they did for life.
<hovis music grinds to a tuneless halt>

Its not like that now, I'm pleased to say.

People do have the opportunity to change careers which is a good thing. However they are not realistically going to live like 17yr olds when they are 34, married with 3 kids and a mortgage.

So the structures of training (and re-training) are going to have to flex quite a lot to accommodate a workforce that does not expect to do the same job from 18 to 80.

Ray I agree. Having originally completed my c&g 6129 some 9 years ago I can honestly say the course tought me little more than I new having been around building work most of my life ( father was an architect, parents built self build that dragged on for 8+ years of my childhood and finnished their marriage ). I could have learnt as much from books and paid less and the courses were deliberatley missleading as to what the qualification was worth. I would have loved to have been able to turn back time and get an apprenticeship. There were no college courses close to me at the time and very little way of getting financial assistance to retrain despite being unemployed at the time. The qualification system should be revised and the means of training too. I dont think determined and driven intelligent 20-30 year olds necessarily require the same amount of time to learn some things as colleges require you take to learn it. My University degree was originally in product / industrial design. It was 3 years long and encompassed about as much work as could be achieved in 1 and a half years if determined and not distracted by Uni life and Girls and booze and etc etc. Yet student loans were available for that but not career change training. More should be done to insure private training facilities can offer extended periods of supported work experience ad a part of their courses it should be mandatory. The training cash farms have it too easy.