Advice on retraining to be a plumber

[andyb43]

Hi all I am thinking of retraining to be a plumber. I have 18 months left in the Army and would like any advice good or bad.

Thinking of doing corespondence theory then practical courses with some free labour offered to get work experiance finaly doing a corgi course for my resettlement.

Come on give me the blunt facts. and advise :D

[mungo]

Hi all I am thinking of retraining to be a plumber. I have 18 months left in the Army and would like any advice good or bad.

Thinking of doing corespondence theory then practical courses with some free labour offered to get work experiance finaly doing a corgi course for my resettlement.

Come on give me the blunt facts. and advise :D

Hi Andyb43
Only do it if you want to make a lot of money.
A mate did a college course in his late forties, I think it was 12 months part time. After a few weeks on the course he set up as a plumber but only took on jobs he felt comfortable with, gradually building up as his knowledge, confidence and practical ability increased.
Two years on he's corgi registered, calls himself a heating engineer and is driving round in a new van, with a new car and he's got a bigger house.
Cya
Mungo :)

[...]

Problem is loads of people are jumping on the ol' wagon and in a few years time there'll be plumbers everywhere. I know 3 people on the Isle of Lewis who are doing a part time course right now - a lab technician, a lorry driver and a nurse (female).

[andyb43]

Sounds good mungo. I am not trying to be a milionare just get a confortable living with flexy time to enjoy life.

Cable that is what I am concerned with every one seems to be trying to get trained as a plumber. hope fuly they are all short time and not in for the long haul.

[Snagger]

I think there's a shortage of electricians too, and no band wagon as all the new wiggly-amp lot are into electronics now. Might be worth looking into. Could mean a lot less market competition for you than the plumbers will have in the future.

[shanno_2k]

I think there's a shortage of electricians too, and no band wagon as all the new wiggly-amp lot are into electronics now. Might be worth looking into. Could mean a lot less market competition for you than the plumbers will have in the future.


Plasters now there is a uk shortage of them


Shanno_2k

[oRGie]

I think there's a shortage of electricians too, and no band wagon as all the new wiggly-amp lot are into electronics now. Might be worth looking into. Could mean a lot less market competition for you than the plumbers will have in the future.

hmm, thats got me thinkin ;) nice one Snagger :)

[Lisa110]

I was looking at college courses last night for Pete (he may be thinking of getting formal qualifications for joinery/carpentry - a job he has done for over 15 years but without a piece of paper to say he can do it)

Get in touch with your local college - I went back to college last year to re-train, and as a mature student? 33 year old they bent over backwards to help me.

The support is amazing and it will probably be only a part time course (even though I do 3 days it is classed as full time, but to me that is part time) and you could start doing small jobs to pay your way.

Good luck

[bahamarover]

Hi all I am thinking of retraining to be a plumber. I have 18 months left in the Army and would like any advice good or bad.

Thinking of doing corespondence theory then practical courses with some free labour offered to get work experiance finaly doing a corgi course for my resettlement.

Come on give me the blunt facts. and advise :D
Andy really look into the resettlement courses, if its anything like the navy they tell you f##k all and expect you to sort it out, think about refrigeration and air conditioning as well a lot of it is plumbing orientated and should be of use, remember in todays market you have to diversify to survive, your entitled to more courses than you think, check it out, if you have a good resettlement officer who is conceintious (think i spelt that wrong) then your halfway there, stay on it!!!.............keith

[plumbari]

Hi Andy if you want long hours, poor materials at vastly inflated prices and arthritis at 50 go for my friend. Wish i had gone for my second option a Farrier . Cheers mate Dave the plumber(41yrs in the job)and ****ed off. If i can be of any help please e.mail me .Dave :D

[Snagger]

My uncle suffered with knee problems too.

Seeing how you dislike your job years down the line, Plumbari, makes me wonder how many people do enjoy their work afetr a few years of it, even if it's a career they desperately wanted to join in the first place.

[andyb43]

Cheers all and Dave I am looking at all the courses and cheers i will drop you a line mate Andy.

[plumbari]

Hi Snagger No mate i still get a buzz from instaling Central Heating. And meeting new customers who then become friends. Its nice when you have finished the work and they say something simple like if your ever passing call in for a cuppa .And of course the money is nice. But we are over regulated in the gas industrie and the exams we have to take are farcical and out of date.
Its the Plumbing side of it that gets me mad .The Joiners take pride in laying a level floor ,Then you are asked to fit a bathroom suite from one of the big warehouses/ DIY store .The pedastal on the basin is twisted like Chesterfield sprire or the basin dipes on one side.The manufacturers dont give a toss most of it is foreign. prices are inflated and the quality is awful . It does not give you any job satisfaction. Plumbing is a good trade .IF.You have a concience . Ihave never left a customer without at least cold water and a toilet even if i have had to work till midnite. Its not a nine till five job no two days are ever the same for me and being self employed i can choose if i work or not. The are easier jobs and proberby some that are more rewarding but i have made a good living from it .I am not rich but i have made good money and spent it on wine women and song and wasted the rest LOL. Cheers Dave

[andyb43]

Dave what qualifications would you advise to get qualed as a plumber to start.

It all sounds very interisting, I would just like to have an enjoyable job and iff the money follows then thats a bonus.

Cheers Andy B :D

[plumbari]

Hi Andy It was different in the bleak old days mate. I started my training at 15 .And finished at 21,Then a year on 3/4 pay as an improver. I gained my ordinary City in Guilds, Final CiG, Advanced CiG then onto Onc and Hnd in Building .Then you could apply for Corgi reg as a mater of course all you to do was prove you trained and could show the ability to fit and service gas appliances. Differant now though. I would say if you are being retrained by the Forces? Sign on at your local college and also at a Gas training centre and work up to your Ccn qualifications this is where it becolmes tough they wont let you train in Gas till you have expeiriance in basic Plumbing N V Q proberbly, Ihave a mate who trains people in the Gas industry i have to go and see him because my Ccn qualis are up in Feb 06 and i have to retrain LOL. So i will see him asap to book myself in. Think about being a service engineer mate clean job fixing boilers good money and not back breaking, Cheers Dave

[dirt diggler]

Ive just recently qualified in the gas industry and got my first job last month. Its a pretty hard course to get on up here and its non stop once its starts. They wouldnt even let me take a week off for me honeymoon cause it would have been to much time off, its that intense.

The way it works at my local college is you basically have to put yourself on the dole for 6 months (which wasnt a problem as id just been made redundant for a second time) then you apply for the course. Theres no guarantee that you will get on it as theres 400-500 applicants and only 30 odd spaces. Once on its an eleven month course with some job placement experience in between. Tough going and its not a job/course to be taken lightly but if you stick at it and have an ounce of sense then its not a problem. At the end of the day you leave with more that enough additional qualifications allong with the basic requirements and i also put myself through Unvented hot water and LPG just for good measure.

The real learning starts when you start work for real but so far forgetting about some dirty smelly houses where you wipe your feet as you leave then its a good job and you also meet some nice people. Go for it.