Training & Portfolio Building

[Stephen19]

...as I am understand it a key element of gaining a proper education and certificates in the industry is to complete training under a mentor, min 8 weeks on the job training.

You can no more learn this trade in 8 weeks, than any other trade.
.

Thanks for the info. Of course I agree with your thoughts above and never said you could learn a trade in 8 weeks. Just mentioned that the legal min was 8 weeks to gain qualification.

As with karate, the real learning starts only when you achieve black belt status...that is not the objective, or should not be! So with this industry, and the learning never stops I bet.

 

[bengasman]

Nope, the learning never stops. Even the best guys on the forum ( and they are very good ) continue to do courses and learn otherwise.

One thing I forgot to mention is that 13 years of Labour-red-tape, have made life a lot harder for legitimate installers, and left the door wide open for cowboys.
This is a much a factor that brings our earnings down, as the fact that we are experiencing the worst recession in living memory which is centered around the housing-market/building industry.
If I could sell my "gas-card" for half of what it cost me to get it, I'd sell today.

 

[ServiceNumpty]

I really honestly hope that you have a rethink, the gas, central heating, plumbing industry is over saturated. All the site plumbers have entered the private domestic side, all the foreign labour has entered the site side, if any are open, the proper s/e engineers are all trying to get jobs with manf or b.g. There is very little work to go around, and I personally don't see this improving for at least 5-10 years, especially with the government we have now.
I am fortunate I have no mortgage, very little overheads, my van is paid for, so are my tools. If I have a few weeks earning £150 I can live with that, but even I can't do that for weeks on end.
Please disregard any sales spiel about salaries,etc. You will probably eat through 20k just setting up, advertising, you will run at a loss for 3,4 5 years, and probably start making 5-6k p.a after that.

Trust me there are better careers out there!

 

[Nige F]

. I would suggest you approach Hertsdrainage There is £ in what he does it`s the old adage - where there` muck there`s brass michele is spot on too .Gas was a great career - in 1970 when I had the choice and chose plumbing because the gas boys seemed to just fiddle with cookers + fires then . If I had done it I would have been where I am now , but 10 - 15 years earlier