Cost of a plumbing apprenticeship

[gsanders100]

Hi,
I am 23 years old and have been to University and therefore have a degree. I have now decided that I want a career change and feel that Plumbing is right for me.

As I already have a degree, I am pretty sure that I would not qualify for any Government funding. Is it this true ?

Also, is anyone aware of the cost of self-funding a Plumbing apprenticeship ?

Many Thanks!

 

[GiantsJam]

Hi mate I'm in the same boat as you minus the degree, but I used up my level 2 funding on plastering. I've been through hours of trying to workout options, I've spoken to colleges, national careers service, and the skills funding agency. So here's what I know sorry in advanced but they make it so complicated that you just give up and don't even bother lol.

You may be okay on the funding part because colleges and uni's are seperate but I would check just to be safe.

Now if you go to college only (2 days a week) you would only come out with a bog standard diploma 6129 (classed as plumbing studies), now colleges will tell you that this is a proper qualification, it's not!!!! it is classed as a theory based qualification/certificate and is half of what makes up a full NVQ, they tell you what you want to hear because that means funding for them. I'm sure that people have done these courses and gotten jobs out of them but ask anyone on here they will tell you that it's an NVQ that you want.

Now apprenticeships (1 day college 4 days working) as it stands only 17-19 year olds get fully funded apprenticeships anyone older then your employer has to pay half the course fees (prices vary from college to college) also your employer has to take you on fulltime contract on their books and they have to be registered with the skills funding agency. As you can imagine no employer would be prepared to take anyone on they have to pay for, let alone train up when they can take on a fully funded 18 year old and get a possible grant out of it aswell.

can you pay for it yourself? Nope! I got told that your employer has to pay and you can't.

can you give money to your employer? Nope! if your employer is a small business they would have to account for the money appearing then dissapearing from their account, otherwise they would have to pay tax on that money.

saved the best till last, like I said the NVQ and apprenticeship in general is worth a hell of alot more than just a college diploma, if your 24 and over when you do level 3 you can get a funded loan (that you pay back over time) for the college diploma, yet you can not get the same +24 loan to pay for the NVQ level 3 even though you would be more employable at the end.

Sorry if this isn't what you want to hear but it's the way it is, feel free to traul through countless websites/phone calls and waste your time like I did. You could go talk to your local college see what they say but always aim for the NVQ, weigh up your options mate try get on with someone and get invaluable real world experience.

Best of luck with it

down but not out

 

[GiantsJam]

what you could do mate is what I intend on trying to do which is forget college, get on with somebody fulltime as a labourer/brew maker and after 3 years go down the OSAT (onsite assessment and training) route or 5 years EWPA (experienced worker practical assessment) and get your NVQ that way, they do the level 2 but not sure about the level 3

hope this helps

 

[Marples]

Now if you go to college only (2 days a week) you would only come out with a bog standard diploma 6129 (classed as plumbing studies), now colleges will tell you that this is a proper qualification, it's not!!!! it is classed as a theory based qualification/certificate and is half of what makes up a full NVQ, they tell you what you want to hear because that means funding for them. I'm sure that people have done these courses and gotten jobs out of them but ask anyone on here they will tell you that it's an NVQ that you want.

I left college 6 month early (had all my work done, advised by tutors) thinking i had completed the course, after the year ended one of the tutors privately contacted me and said that i had not completed my on site assessment (which they forgot about). I didn't know that i only had the technical certificate and not the NVQ.

Now apprenticeships (1 day college 4 days working) as it stands only 17-19 year olds get fully funded apprenticeships anyone older then your employer has to pay half the course fees (prices vary from college to college) also your employer has to take you on fulltime contract on their books and they have to be registered with the skills funding agency. As you can imagine no employer would be prepared to take anyone on they have to pay for, let alone train up when they can take on a fully funded 18 year old and get a possible grant out of it aswell.

With me being 21 now i thought i would have to pay something towards if not all. but after my employer spoke to the college i didn't have to pay anything. I don't know if this was because i had enrolled to the course in 2010 and it continued but looking through my assessment folder i have had to re enrol and start as a new student except i already have the technical certificate (classroom based).
3 years after i finally get a job with someone that isn't messing me around and have to go through college again, i was told that the 6129 last certification date would be 31st December 2014 which has given me 2 months to fit a 2 year course into.
I am hoping to get onto the level 3 next september as i've just missed out on this year, but i don't think this company will pay half of apprenticeship if so i would like to pay for myself or if needs be work for free.

I would speak to the college and ask what they can do for you. Personally i think it depends on any individual and the college. Good Luck in the future with the plumbing.

 

[GiantsJam]

Glad to hear you got it sorted marples, from what you said it was the college's fault, how can they forget that your on an NVQ and not a standard diploma, if I was you I would have kicked up more of a fuss with the college because it's down to them to up hold their end of the bargain i.e sorting out on site assessments, and their neglegence has thrown you off course, you should have had the NVQ by now and be on your level 3 but because of them you have to miss another year, bang out of order in my book.

 

[Marples]

I tried my best sending emails back and forth and involved C&G who should have given me my NVQ at the time. Their response was yes you haven't got the full NVQ but you have the diploma, speak with your college to sort this out. College could not do anything about it because it was after my course had ended that they realised that my full NVQ hadn't been sent out. When finally getting through to them they then lost my portfolio of my on site assessments so i have no proof of them and had to start a fresh. a nightmare to be honest.