Apprentice looking for answers

[JamieBuckley]

Helllo

I'm a 22 year old who came here from Sweden a couple of months ago and I'm looking for a job within plumbing.

I've studied plumbing & heating in school for 3 years (upper secondary education) and after that I've been working as a plumber (apprentice) for another 2 years.

I would have had my certificate by now if it wasn't for my sloppy boss who (when I joined his firm) signed the wrong documents and forgot to hand in
some other important papers to the building union in Stockholm, where they keep a track record of all apprentices and because of this
the building union simply told me I had to redo a whole year of my apprenticeship.

Shortly after I realized this, I fell out with my boss and quit my job. I went to England to spend some time with my family (my dad's British) but I've now decided to stay.

So, my question for you guys is:

Where can I go from here? I've been looking for some plumbing jobs in London but most of em of course, require a full certificate.
Now in Sweden as an apprentice you would earn about £8 - £12/ hour if you've finished your 3 years of studying which I have.
When I look at plumbing apprentice jobs in England (to be able to finish my education & get my certificate) I've realized that some pay you around £80 A WEEK....
Which of course is not enough when I'm living on my own.

I worked for 2 years on larger construction sites including some penthouse projects in Stockholm, so I feel quite safe when I'm working on new build projects or whatever the English word for it is (building new houses) I know pretty much everything there is to know.

I don't however feel I'm experienced enough to do service/maintenance work ex. looking for errors on boilers that wont work, finding out why the heat wont come on in someones house.

I would love working on the high rise projects down in London, all the new skyscrapers being built but I recon it would be hard getting a job there without any certificate.

Just wondered if anyone in here would know where to turn? Maybe like a plumbers union or something that I could speak to.

How to find work without a certificate, maybe just walk around construction sites handing out my CV?

Thankful for any tip

Take care !

 

[Simon F]

Hello Jamie, welcome to the forum.
you won't be able to do any unsupervised gas work without becoming gas safe registered!

 

[JamieBuckley]

So working with gas is a part of plumbing in Britain ? In Sweden that would be a profession of its own.
I guess this is because many of your boilers in this country run on gas, in Sweden we haven't got any gas boilers.
But thank you for that, appreciate it!

 

[PlumbBobBob]

you don't have to do gas to be a plumber

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Jamie, you have come from a country with low levels of youth unemployment compared to Britain - see charts below. This before we start on the fact that there is a massive over-supply of labour in plumbing - Good luck in finding work, but you have poor prospects here, compared to Sweden!

[h=2]Sweden
142,918 15 to 29 year-olds are not in education, employment, or training - 7.8%[/h]That figure has changed by -2.5% since 2008

In 2008, it was 8% of 15-29s - in 2011 it was 7.8%

The total cost to Sweden of Neets in 2011 is:
[SIZE=+2]€1,260,246,895
0.33% of GDP[/SIZE]
The average cost as % of GDP in the EU is 0.96%. It's equivalent to €9,565 per person. The total NEET cost has changed by 4.98% since 2008

In Britain it is far worse:

[h=2]United Kingdom
1,872,403 15 to 29 year-olds are not in education, employment, or training - 15.5%[/h]That figure has changed by 18.3% since 2008

In 2008, it was 13.1% of 15-29s - in 2011 it was 15.5%

The total cost to United Kingdom of Neets in 2011 is:
[SIZE=+2]€18,347,112,792
1.05% of GDP[/SIZE]
The average cost as % of GDP in the EU is 0.96%. It's equivalent to €14,526 per person. The total NEET cost has changed by 36.49% since 2008

Mapped: Europe's lost generation | News | guardian.co.uk

 

[SimonG]

Jamie, you have come from a country with low levels of youth unemployment compared to Britain - see charts below. This before we start on the fact that there is a massive over-supply of labour in plumbing - Good luck in finding work, but you have poor prospects here, compared to Sweden!

Sweden
142,918 15 to 29 year-olds are not in education, employment, or training - 7.8%

That figure has changed by -2.5% since 2008

In 2008, it was 8% of 15-29s - in 2011 it was 7.8%

The total cost to Sweden of Neets in 2011 is:
[SIZE=+2]€1,260,246,895
0.33% of GDP[/SIZE]
The average cost as % of GDP in the EU is 0.96%. It's equivalent to €9,565 per person. The total NEET cost has changed by 4.98% since 2008

In Britain it is far worse:

United Kingdom
1,872,403 15 to 29 year-olds are not in education, employment, or training - 15.5%

That figure has changed by 18.3% since 2008

In 2008, it was 13.1% of 15-29s - in 2011 it was 15.5%

The total cost to United Kingdom of Neets in 2011 is:
[SIZE=+2]€18,347,112,792
1.05% of GDP[/SIZE]
The average cost as % of GDP in the EU is 0.96%. It's equivalent to €14,526 per person. The total NEET cost has changed by 36.49% since 2008

Mapped: Europe's lost generation | News | guardian.co.uk

I started a reply along the same lines, then my internet went down and I lost the will.

Welcome to the forum

 

[SimonG]

you don't have to do gas to be a plumber

Well said Steve.

 

[chris watkins]

Welcome along Jamie, lack of gas boilers, youth un-employment, building / Plumbing unions, £8 - £12/ hour per hour for a 3rd year apprentice, these are not the only differences between Plumbing in good old Blighty & Sweden. The main one being that you don't need any certificates to practise Plumbing or Heating (NOT gas) in this country, so why not start up on your own & see how you get on, everybody else seems to !!

Do you think that may have something to do with why Plumbing is so poorly paid over here & proper jobs for trainees & skilled workers are so few & far between ??

 

[SimonG]

Welcome along Jamie, lack of gas boilers, youth un-employment, building / Plumbing unions, £8 - £12/ hour per hour for a 3rd year apprentice, these are not the only differences between Plumbing in good old Blighty & Sweden. The main one being that you don't need any certificates to practise Plumbing or Heating (NOT gas) in this country, so why not start up on your own & see how you get on, everybody else seems to !!

Do you think that may have something to do with why Plumbing is so poorly paid over here & proper jobs for trainees & skilled workers are so few & far between ??

That's why most builders / handymen have had pipe racks installed on top of their vans.

 

[acecharly]

As already said. Get some cards pushed out maybe an add in a local paper and have a go. If you try hard you will get on. It will be slow to start but with the right attitude and focus you will make it.