Plumbing Course

[caleb2003]

I would like to retrain and Plumbing is obviously a good area to look at due to the shortages.

Problem is I don't have time or money to go to college for 3 years so I have been looking at other things (part time). My view is that even if I don't end up going into the trade then I will be able to do all my own domestic stuff.

I've seen a course from OLCI which is open learning and a couple of workshops and was wondering if anyone else has taken this up and can say if it is worth it.

Also I don't know if people have seen the CDs for plumbing off ebay but if you can recommend one then let us know.

Cheers

 

[peter anderson]

As a plumbing student I've spent over 50 mornings in a workshop at college and still feel nervous about doing anything in other people's houses (because little mistakes can result in a lot of water spurting everywhere) so I would regard a course which offered only two workshops
as a ripoff. I've got lots of plumbing books . The one which is most helpful in a very very practical way is the Readers Digest DIY manual which is a satisfyingly thick and bulky book.

You need to know the theory, which these CDs and open learning courses seem to offer, but unless you get loads of hands-on practice as well i don't see how you would become very competent.

 

[caleb2003]

Thanks for the info.

It's difficult for the part timer to fasttrack then.

 

[AlanE]

What line of work are you in at the moment and for how long.

Alan

 

[caleb2003]

I am actually a Telecoms engineer doing quite well financially, but the more I.T. is outsourced to India then the less significant my skills are, so I was thinking of retraining.

Current contract is on until July so wouldn't mind at least deciding which way to go soon.

Obviously I know there is no easy route to a skilled job but theres no point sitting around thinking about these things, might as well get off me arse and do something about it.

Cheers

 

[lor]

artcle in H & V NEWS last week:
"work dries up for 1000's of newly-qualifieds plumbers.there r now far more entrants than can evergain full employment"

sounds like u have missed the band waggon mate.

 

[scatmanjohn]

artcle in H & V NEWS last week:
"work dries up for 1000's of newly-qualifieds plumbers.there r now far more entrants than can evergain full employment"

sounds like u have missed the band waggon mate.

i agree...just been flicking through the local rag and the property services pages is full of plumbers advertising.
2/3 years ago there wasn't one in there.
Media hype should take the blame

 

[joe-90]

Don't forget the endless entry of Poles into the country. They'll undercut you as they live in a communal house and live for peanuts.


joe

 

[corgiman]

We must be getting at least ten unsolicited cv's a week from NVQ2's and 3's

Dont do it mate as has been said the bandwagon as so packed up and moved along

 

[lor]

corgiman is there a shortage of labour in Australia. i want out

 

[corgiman]

I am not aussie just like the flag

I want out too, rates are falling, customer service expectations are rising

more legislation, more governmental interference

sucks being a plumber at the moment

 

[ACOperson]

I think that if you are looking to do it part time you should forget about it. Also forget about anything off of Ebay and OLCI. Been there and done it and none are worth jack s***. find a good college and more importantly a good employer who will teach you well.

I retrained after leaving the insurance industry, and it was REALLY tough going. I had to work for companies for free for over a year, and had to take out a career development loan of over £7000 to fund this. Most plumbing companies will not offer any training schemes/apprenticeships to anyone other than 16 year old kids or ex-doleys, so if you are working at the minute and over 21 years old you will find it difficult and expensive to enter the industry.

If you try to do it part time you will find it hard to get work even once you have your paper qualification as there are now actually too many newly qualified people with little or no experience of WORKING as a plumber/heating eng around the UK looking for work.

Luckily for me one of the regular posters to this board gave me some very good work experiance with him alongside my NVQ, which gave me the neccessary skills and experience to be able to get work once I was qualified. I've now been in the game for about 2 years, got my CORGI card and working for a heating firm in London, but it has been a very hard challenge, moreso than the 4 years I spent at University.

I would say to anyone looking to retrain that they would have to be 100% committed if they want anyone to take them seriously. You must be prepared to read lots and lots of books and work long hours as you will be playing catchup to all the guys who left school to do this a few years before you. Be prepared for lots of rejection letters too.

I love my job now though

 

[corgiman]

Way to go

I really enjoyed reading your post



(am not taken the mick I genuinely enjoyed it)

 

[oilman]

You can do a lot of domestic plumbing if you just have some practical ability, ability to read, confidence, and an interest in learning. There are some things that will be too much at first, so you just turn those jobs down. NEVER take on a job if it's beyond you, and DON'T give anything except honest answers. Garbage like saying you will send an estimate, and then don't will harm you more than you think.

A lot of domestic plumbers are bordering on adequate.

 

[ACOperson]

Good.

Wasn't sure if I was going to get told to sod off back to pen pushing by loads of old school plumbers & BG boys or not

Not trying to put anyone off the industry but people who think that there may be an 'easier' route into plumbing & heating need to be told by someone who has been there that there ain't ! There are however a lot of rip-off merchants who exist to exploit potential entrants, leaving them poorly trained and out of pocket.