Train 4 Trade Skills

[cheets]

You should be asking the train 4 trade people these question, whats the point in spending all that money and now knowing whats around the corner.

 

[NickH]

. I was hoping to work for company for few weeks then go off on my own.

!!!!

 

[paul86]

how are you confused? it's more money on mt own. need to work wit company for bit for experience or even appreticeship, any chance of one of them? need as much info as poss please onthis

 

[Mike Jackson]

It's the few weeks bit. Surely you are not naive enough to think that you can get any worthwhile experience in just two weeks?

Being self employed is not the bed of roses that it's made out to be. I had 26 years of self employment and running the family business. I gave it up just over two years ago and have been at least £200 a week better off and a damn site less stressed since being employed.

If you can get a job it's worth sticking it out for a few years. If you can forge a good relationship with your employers you may find that they are willing to let you sub for them after you leave until you build up a customer base of your own.

Don't expect to walk out with a qualification and immediately start earning good money. Life isn't like that. I've seen a lot of students fresh from college start up on their own and seem to be doing really well until the reality of the overheads of running their own business bites. At least 50% have dropped out of the plumbing industry altogether disillusioned because they are not earning the big bucks they expected.

Mike

 

[paul86]

ok maybe few months then then go off on my own. I know it will be hardwork but I'm dedicated I will put every hour in. Or should I start self employed after finishing my course. what if company refuses to employ me or get apprenticeship. I find this plumbing quite easy so far so I won't be dropping out and I am looking forward to big money but I am gonna do a good job too. but i've read people won't employ anyone who done fast track, which worries me slightly all bad reviews of this course i've read

 

[nick22]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I have cancelled the agreement with t4ts.

I have had a long think about my best options.
I'm going to apply to work with a plumber on my days off around my current job without pay.

Try get some expirence under my belt.

Can anyone tell me what qualifications actually mean something in this industry????

 

[cheets]

I would of thought a few years with a plumber/company would be the minimun time served, the amount of problems you will occur being self employed, who are you going to turn to if you come across a problem you don't know how to sort?

You need to stop thinking about "big money" and more a career and you will always be learning new things. You need to think about tax and insurance if you are going to be self employed and that is a whole new ball game and very stressful if you dont get it right the first time.

 

[paul86]

whats chance getting appreniship then if nobody will employ me after fast track course. I can work full time job i'm at and do apprentiship in spare time and then go off when ready. I will hae free tools with this course so won't need to buy thing. I have car so don't need a van. won't cost alot to advertise. It should work maybe

 

[nick penfold]

Hey matey.

Best bet is to check out the IPHE or summitskills website.

Currently, no qualifications are required to work as a self employed plumber. However, compliance with the water regulations is mandatory.

There is discussion that over the next few years, regulations will be brought in that require all plumbers employed or self employed to be adequatley qualified. These regulations will be along the same lines as working with gas or electrics so im led to believe.

To work for an employer, it is currently expected you will have the NVQ 2 otherwise known as the C&G 6089 and the MES technical certificate otherwise known as the C&G 6129.

The C&G 6129 can be completed at college (either a fsat track expensive course or local college). There is no need to be employed to do this course and it teaches you alot of the practical skills required to carry out plumbing wiork and your NVQ2.

The NVQ2 is the qualification where you need to be employed in the industry. By gaining evidence at work and placing it in your nvq folder, you can prove your competent as a plumber and rach the NVQ2 standard.


The normal qualification process would be

do your c&g 6129 tech cert to gain the skills of a plumber

do your nvq2 if employed to show your a competent plumber.


After you have these quali's you can start looking at doing the lvl 3 versions of the above courses where on completion you can safely assume your a qualified plumber.......ofc not mentioning the wras course, the part p electical course and the unvented cert.


im really starting to think that that trainee doctos have it easy with their lil 7 year jaunt.

 

[johnmess]

Paul,

Although there are free tools with this course (yes I am doing it myself just started) I doubt they alone will be enough as I have been doing DIY plumbing for a while and have tools not included in the free ones (also lets face there not free you paid for them with course fee's).I went into this course not expecting the "big Money" the sales man promises but with a mind that I can make a living at it.

As for the apprenticships thats a hard one, nowadays the apprenticship is almost dead. I can't see many plumbers employing anyone over 18 on an apprenticship as they will need to pay to much better having some 15 year old who can be payed **** wages and be a dogs body for three years and cut lose.

I would love to hear from plumbers about there thoughts on the course if I complete 2 years and have DIY plumbing experiance would they consider talking people like me on as a plumbers mate.

I do understand that doing these courses is no subsitute for one site knowladge but if people are saying there is no way to become a plumber unless you are time served, are they saying that every college or uni student can't become a real anything unless they done a 3 years apprenticship.

So in closing Paul do the course as a start into plumbing not into a start to print your own money job and all will be ok. This is more of a career.

Sonray Ltd I would love to hear from you if you would work with someone who had done a course and who had a lot of experiance dealing with the public and a small amount of DIY plumbing experiance i.e fitting bathrooms, Kitchen appliances sinks and fixing small problems ect.