Feedback on MET-UK required

[madmart]

I am looking to take the Master Plumber (Level 2 & 3) 9 week course with the additional 10th week to cover Part P Electrics.
Has anyone been on this course or heard anything good or bad about MET-UK (based in Rotherham).
They appear to be fully qualified with City & Guilds "A" rating and would appreciate any information.

 

[Caj]

Hi Madmart

Your in luck, I'm just on the part p section of the course, so can give you any feedback you want.
Overall it's been a good course, it's a good mix of theory and practical. Normally a couple of days in classroom, then practical then phase test on Fri morning. They throw in plumbing up a Hot water cylinder and also some central heating on the unvented which is good. The tutors are friendly and willing to help and go over things with you.
It was the cheapest I found that offered the same deals. You get the 6129 level 2, water regs, unvented, and part p at level 3 and they offer the NVQ assessments free when your out working - so long as you live within a certain distance from the centre! So be careful of that. The tiling wasn't much to write home about, just a quick heads up putting tiles up etc! Not sure if your looking at solar which is another option.
The tools were pretty beat up, they don't seem too keen to change them and the free tool kit isn't upto much really.
I suppose it's like any other centre, they give you the basics to get through the 6129 and exams and throw in some of their own experiences, but everything is based on passing.

Some of the guys on the course asked to do Part L as an add on which they did over 2 nights at an extra cost.

Just don't be fooled into thinking that this is the end of the cost though - you only get told about things later on, like joining the competent persons schemes and testing kits needed for part p. This course only covers defined scope so you can only do work relating to where you are working, ie new plug for washing machine, or new circuit for shower. The competent persons schemes costs £300+ and the test equipment from £500. If your thinking of going self employed you need these things!

The Heat membership is a waste of time, its an internal thing that is not set up properly, and the placement team seem to concentrate on the gas people.

It's like most things, you need to hassle them to get things done!

Some of the guys have been staying over at the hotel they use and I get the impression it's not of the greatest standard.

Hope this has given you some thing to think about. Obviously I can't compare it to others but they have given me everything I thought they would. Been in a group that has had a good laugh with the trainers who have given it back too, so that makes things tick on nicely.
10 weeks ago I knew nothing and everything was daunting, now it seems to make sense, so they must have taught me something.

Give me a shout if you need anymore info.

Now the really hard part comes - getting a job!!!! It's all about banging on doors and not being afraid of the knockbacks as them come!

 

[oldplumbers]

Hi Caj,nice post indeed.Question,were you offered a work placement at all as their verbal literature states that work placements are available?I think anyone thinking of signing up for their Domestic Electrical course needs to visit the electrical forum and review the feedback that electricidiot received with regards to his/her enquiry about their part qualifications that they appear to offer!
Hope you are successful after spending a considerable amount of time/money.

 

[Caj]

They do offer a placement service of 2/4 weeks after you qualify, but as its not part of the course it's not something they push. We had to go ask a couple of times and no one has heard anything since, so we are assuming they haven't found anything!
This is the only disappointing part Of Met - the trainers are good but the backroom staff don't seem in any hurry to help. Trainers and admin seem to avoid each other!
Will have to go look at the electrics course as it's the first time they have run them I think.

 

[madmart]

Thanks Caj - really appreciate your post. I am leaning towards doing the BTSC course at Chessington as it is closer and will mean I don't have to fork out for hotel accommodation. I know the course will take a lot longer but with luck I might be able to get some work experience with a plumber a couple of days a week.
Good luck with the rest of your course and knocking on them doors!!

 

[oldplumbers]

Hi MadMatt,I think the City&Guilds 'A' rating refers to their gas courses,better check with C&G,I could be wrong!

 

[jimk280]

Hi, I've been thinking of doing this course and have been looking at different forums. Most seem promising. CAJ mentioned on 29-04-2008 that part L was extra but if you do the Master plumber with Solar it appears that it's included in the course at no extra cost i.e 4750 inclusive of VAT and that's good value compared to others like the money grabbing OLCI.

Unfortunately there's a requirement to join competent persons lists and these unfortunately cost good money, albeit they do give public-joe peace of mind so if self-employed may mean the difference between getting the work or not?

What I am unsure about is work placement. I know that they say they are able to offer work near to where you live but has anybody else had problems with this area of Met-UK?

Regards Jim

Master Plumber with Solar
C&G (6089) NVQ L2 Plumbing
C&G (6129) L2 Plumbing Studies
BPEC (Level 3) Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems
BPEC (Level 3) Energy Efficiency - Part L of the Building Regualtions (2005)
BPEC (Level 3) Unvented Hot Water
BPEC (Level 3) Water Regulations

 

[pcollins]

Hi Jim,

I'm just finishing off a plumbing and solar course with Met UK, and as the other say, the trainers are very good, not all natural teachers in the classroom but pretty good on the practical side of things and to be honest thats where the need lies as the rest is all bookwork.

Certain areas of the course do feel a little rushed but you do cover a lot in a short space of time, and compared to other facilities I have been to visit the setup isn't bad.

That said, the two main selling points for me over a more local centre are the placement and the promise of an NVQ.

Both have been a major letdown, once you are away from the centre the placement team continually fob you off and I managed one week of a total of eight weeks set aside for placement, actually out with a company who I found myself. Some on my course faired better, others didn't get anything.

As for the NVQ - as previously stated, be careful here as Sales promised me a free NVQ regardless of where I live but if you're more than 25miles away this will cost you.

I hope this helps, happy to give you more info on the course if you want to get in touch

Paul

 

[Puddle]

I am looking to take the Master Plumber (Level 2 & 3) 9 week course quote]

Master plumber within 9 weeks,,way to go.respect

 

[hume]

what is their ACS course like? do they get you the 6 months training with a gas engineer?

 

[david williams]

9 weeks to be a master plumber what a load of b!!!loks.100%pass rate i bet as well ,you cant train a competant plumber in nine weeks let alone a master plumber,the plumbing industry has been raped by these fast track companies ,they turn out part trained plumbers lots of paper no experience,and then you get all the complaints that they cant get a job because employers want at least 4 years post training experience.i would expect a master plumber to be competant in leadwork ,drainage,copper work ,gas, waste systems of all kinds from upvc,vulcathene,copper and iron,gravity ,vacum,double containment,be able to design and install to correct relevent pipework sizes and regs heating and water services for domestic properties and small comercial instalations,and anyone who can not do all that competently should not call themselves a master plumber.

what no replys to this little rant

 

[theanalyst]

9 weeks to be a master plumber what a load of b!!!loks.100%pass rate i bet as well ,you cant train a competant plumber in nine weeks let alone a master plumber,the plumbing industry has been raped by these fast track companies ,they turn out part trained plumbers lots of paper no experience,and then you get all the complaints that they cant get a job because employers want at least 4 years post training experience.i would expect a master plumber to be competant in leadwork ,drainage,copper work ,gas, waste systems of all kinds from upvc,vulcathene,copper and iron,gravity ,vacum,double containment,be able to design and install to correct relevent pipework sizes and regs heating and water services for domestic properties and small comercial instalations,and anyone who can not do all that competently should not call themselves a master plumber.

what no replys to this little rant

I agree to some extent.
I am near to finishing a gas 'engineer' course at Met. For people who join these courses with no prior experience, it is a waste of time IMO...

I personally had 10 years experience in the building trade and a lot of water,waste plumbing and CH experience, which was a massive help.

I think the title of 'master plumber' is indeed a joke and some people who finish these courses still cant sweat a proper joint so are in no way master plumbers.

However there is a LOT to learn and pass so I take my hat off to anyone who acheives their ACS certs at the end of it

Note// thats a different course to the 'master plumber' one

what is their ACS course like? do they get you the 6 months training with a gas engineer?

This is where the risk comes in...
My first placement was good.

My second one non existent and it has been down to my hard work and persistence that I should have all the required evidence to sit the acs

 

[Puddle]

Anyone who comes off a 9 week course and thinks they are or can be called a master plumber is a master blonker and illusional,even if you are 10 years experiance in the 'building trade'
And any such person calling themselves such after such a course is conning the public and having anyone in the trade laughing at them
To become a master plumber takes years of experiance and training and is gained through the respect of others in the trade
Talk about courses just make to pull in money
Anyway must dash got to start a three week course on trap baiting,only £1800
at the end of it I can call myself a Master Baiter,am lucky though coz had a few year previous experiance

 

[theanalyst]

Anyone who comes off a 9 week course and thinks they are or can be called a master plumber is a master blonker and illusional,even if you are 10 years experiance in the 'building trade'
And any such person calling themselves such after such a course is conning the public and having anyone in the trade laughing at them
To become a master plumber takes years of experiance and training and is gained through the respect of others in the trade
Talk about courses just make to pull in money
Anyway must dash got to start a three week course on trap baiting,only £1800
at the end of it I can call myself a Master Baiter,am lucky though coz had a few year previous experiance

Sounds like you dont need the £1800 course... you likely are already fully qualified in that area....

I dont recall saying I would class myself as a 'master plumber' after a 10 week course?
In fact, the course Im doing is about 8 months in total so get your facts straight. It is also not a water plumbing course as I am more competent in that area than many so called 'plumbers' I know in the trade.

At the end of the day, 'old school' plumbers or gas fitters dont like these fast track courses because

1/ They sometimes turn out clueless individuals who have somehow got the same tickets as they have

or

2/ Turn out people who are clued up, work within their limited or wide knowledge (depending on what they have done in the past) - eg/ some may stick to doing domestic gas/landlord servicing for a local authority for example or work under a time served gas fitter for a few years

and then proceed to take work off the above real 'master plumbers' or 'master gas fitters' by actually being good and offering a good experience for the customer

its great isnt it

 

[david williams]

I wish and hope that the last part of your post does come true,that these courses do start to turn out clued up competant plumbers,and some of them must.my own experience has been that few do.and i have had to deal with a few who do feel that because there course company has told them they are the dogs b!!lks when they have done the course and they come for a job and they are not up to it they get the hump with me,because i will not employ them.any course is better than no training but unless you have previous experience they just serve to get you in to the plumbing industry.i did a six month course in the sixtes after i left the navy but it was not enougth i went to night school for 3 years.i was lucky to get a job with a big plumbing firm who continued to help with my plumbing education i like to see young people coming into the trade but as with some older plumbers it is the same with some of the younger ones "attitude" but then we all have periods of that