robby

Has anyone tried 1 of these courses where you can train to be a plumber whilst still in your current job?
I guess it must be night school but just want to know how much these courses cost and do the qualifications you're supposed to acheive actually mean anything at the end if you don't have any actual on job experience as i expect most firms want at least a year or so experience.

I'm so fed up with my current job and need to do something before i'm too old to start a new career - i wanted to be an electrician years ago but i'm slightly colour blind so that was out of the question

OllyK

Hey the colour codes have changed now so being a sparky may not be such an issue!!

It depends what you want to do, if you want to mess with Gas then you need to be CORGI, otherwise, I don't think you need to be qualified and to be honest, general plumbing is a a doddle anyway. I completely re-plumbed my house, just got a qualified guy in to do the boiler.

Trucker Ted

First thing you learn is to place a hand on your chin whilst shaking your head from side to side and exclaiming how big a job its going to be and dreaming about that holiday you will be taking in the Seychelles with the profit.

Mog

Hello....all plumbing work now has to be notified to building control and a governing notification scheme the same as gas, electrics and ventilation. All work not notified will have an impact when you come to sell your house.

Mog

ImNotAudiLover

1. How old are you
2. Take the colour blindness test. If you fail forget it.
3. 99% of companies wont hire people who have done one of those scamming crash courses. They want college educated people, and those with relevant experiences at that.

stilover

Remembering to sigh loudly too.

robby

Just wondering if at 30 something i've left it too late

Idealy i'd like to train as an aprentice but these schemes are for school leavers so thats out?

MY,k436suy

Hey dont ever think its to late dude!! i've done many **** jobs such as butchery for seven years, then I got trained on a monster of a printer. I left there after 5 yrs and trained as a tree surgeon, got my tickets and thought nah this aint for me!! I have a genetic condition that gives my joints hell so i've just done a distance learning course through Kilmarnock college for "radiation and protection" I sat my exams three weeks ago. Am hoping to get a job as a health physics monitor on a nuclear site. I monitored the tools for radiation last september during the re-fuel process so I had some experience before starting the course.
I'm 31 this september and have got a taste for this re-training now as its helped me get some confidence back after a messy past five yrs so like I say dont ever think your to old, although it was hard work I really enjoyed doing it.

HowieG

My dad re trained to be plumber when he was in his late thirties. He had two young kids, mortgage - friends thought he was mad to give up his safe but dead end job. Best thing he ever did. He has made a fair living at it and been president of the Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering.

At 67 he's still messing about with boilers and stuff - it's part of who he is, he can't leave it alone!

ImNotAudiLover

Let me put it like this.

School leavers struggle with great difficulty to get a foot in the door of plumbing. 99% of companies want school/college leavers 16-21. You at 30 will struggle. Only possible way is to bug your local council, and become what they call a "adult learner".

Good luck.

P.S

Since all the immigrants came over plumbers dont make as much money as they did 5 years ago. Its all about gas for the big bucks these days.

MJB2

Im doing an evening plumbing course at college. Its only really for basic home plumbing, in fact ive just this minute changed my bath taps woo hoo lol.
After this i could then do a course on a saturday for 40 weeks or so a year (2 yrs) Its ok when at college because you can flood the place and laugh

wrxcraig

you might get away with staying at your current job for the 1st year, but 2nd year you will need to find an apprenticeship, depending on wether you want to go self empoyed, plumbing can be very good money but i would recomend staying away from site work as you dont really learn much and but going with a property maintainance firm you will learn alot more, but theres so many qualification you can go for, nvq, ccn's, unvented, corgi etc etc. Im in a family buisness (property maintainance) firm owned by my parents, and starting off on his own he now has about 30 employees now.

beakerdoo

i run my own plumbing business am 35 and have had my own business for 11 years.what i would be looking for is someone who has a good knowledge of plumbing and gas work plus a few years behind them preferably age to me is not important the fact been your age for me personally is better because at that age you would be serious about the job and not some teeny bopper.i have an apprentice going through collage at the mo and this is the only way to go nowadays because you need your tickets and as already been said you need to register every gas and e.g bathroom replacement job to the council.its long and hard to do the courses but if you stick at it it would pay off in the end.hope this helps !!

LordOfTheRings

the £50 a hour plumbing days are gone.

If I was you I would train as a car mechanic. £40 a hour sounds good to me

paulwrxboro

theres that many people doing plumbing now ,the place is gona be flooded with them soon