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gas portfolio help/employment

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jamie1581

Gas portfolio help, just completed my 6129 level 3 tec certificate at btsc chessintion but im having a nightmare with anyone wanting to take me on so I can build my gas portfolio but im hearing of companies offering this service at a charge I.e. you go work with a gas engineer for a number of weeks and pay him but you get the evidence and some experience so your able to do your acs assessment now has anyone had any experience with theses companies or does anyone know of some around the Guildford area maybe they could blog this or email me direct at [email protected]
I am also looking for employment within the industry and am willing to work for free for around 4 weeks to see if I would be suitable for your company .

thanks jamie lewis
 
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no single trader will look at you as why would they just so you can become someone who will possibly take jobs from them
doubtfull a company will take the chance either
another example of training companies taking the money without explaining the facts of life
 
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Thanks newbie1 but I was looking for some info and advice into these profile building companies and its clear that companies are not taking any trainees on at the moment so its near on imposable to get some gas experience unless knowing someone in the trade which I don’t
 
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you also will not get your acs without a nvq level 2 with gas element.
dont run before you can walk, concentrate getting the nvq first. after that you have a better chance if any of getting employed leading to gas experience.
 
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Thanks but im fully aware I need my nvq2 which is quiet east to get but if I get a job as a plumber within a company that does very little gas im not able to build my portfolio up so please if your going to reply to my blog can you only give me the advice that I need about there portfolio building companies .thanks
 
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Hhhmmm, ask for help and then dictate what people can and can't post in an attempt to help you. Good luck getting further help :D
 
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there is no such thing as portfolio building companies
there are people who will charge you money to work alongside them
there are training centers that will try to find a company to let you work unpaid for them while building a portfolio
very few if any single traders will give you the chance to build a portfolio get registered and then take work away from them
ime sorry you dont like the answers but they are the accurate truthfull answers to your question
as i have explained this will cost you upwards of 12-15k to get qualified and then you will have to try and find a customer base which takes years
and who will you turn to when you go to your first boiler breakdown and dont know the problem?
 
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please can someone answer my original question on the gas portfolio building companies that are popping up around the country has anyone been out and worked for one and built there gas portfolio up using them or had any bad experience.
To all of the last blogers i only want information on the portfolio companies I thank you for your info but without saying I know it all you’ve giving me information I already know. Ive also spoken to lots of training companies and then do have people who will help you build your gas portfolio but as I didn’t do my training with them none of them will refer me to them
Im sorry if I have offended any blogers but im fully aware of what I need to do my gas acs and what quafication im just looking for info about gas portfolio building

Thanks jamie
 
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as i explained they want to charge you to go work for free they are not repeat not portfolio building companies
there is no such thing as a portfolio building company only people who will take money off you to work free alongside them and then sign your sheet
some training centers will offer a guaranteed placement but repeat but that is they in fact only gaurantee in met uks case a interview with one company
all these companies do is cold call companies asking them to give a placement which in this climate not many are willing to do
but hey you seem unwilling to listen
who has told you there are portfolio building companies out there???
 
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Newbie1 Im fully aware these companies are just gas engineers who you go out with on live jobs but some advertise themselves on goggle as portfolio building companies ive also spoken to other trainees/trainers at my local training centre who have heard about them but have had no dealing with them as it looks like a fairly new thing . so have you had any dealing with them or do you know anyone who has. At the presents recession my chances of getting fully time employment with asc gas is far greater than without it but the only way of building my gas portfolio up may lie with one of these companies unless I can be placed in a job where they will train me which is very unlikely and I know im not going to get a massive amount of experience get my gas portfolio built but my chances of getting employment is far greater with it unless you have other options.
I also know I will get limited experience and I not I will not be ready to go out on my own after passing asc assessments but Im looking for my best course of action. im thinking if my local training centre places me in a job where I do just plumbing with no gas im going to be stuck not being able to build my gas evidence up so it mite be better to build it just before they try to place me to further my chances
 
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ok these are people who are willing to relieve you of another 3-4 thousand pounds for just 4 weeks experience
this is woefully inadequate if you are determined then i suggest going with a company that will include the guaranteed placement and i think anything less than 6 months placement and you will be wasting your time at best and possibly dangerous
if you do a search on here you will see even gas engineers are struggling for work so acs is not the road to riches
i cant emphasise enough the costs involved and no guarantee of a return
think carefully as this will cost you minimum of 10k
 
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There charging 2.500 for 4 weeks on average but as ive already paid for all of my 6129 level 2and3, nvqs as well as the acs training when I started it back in November so im stuck hoping they will give me a good job placement.
This has already cost me 12grand but in the bigger scheme of things this mite be a small price to pay or maybe not

minus the experience needed.
 
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why dont you go self employed and work as a plumber, get your nvq 2 and 3, and along the way youll meet engineers who if your a reasonable person will maybe take you under their wing and let you work with them and gain experience and if your lucky allow you to build a portfolio. Then when you get your gas quals and register with gas safe youll have someone to fall back on for help and advice. Believe me mate, paying for quals thro short course companies isnt enough for when you let yourself loose on the general public. By doing just plumbing to start youll build a custoer base that will then use you when you get gas qualifiedfor their boilers etc. If you just jump in fee first and cock up not only will you gain a poor reputation with the public but your name will be mud with the merchants and other rgis and believe me and the rest of this forum, you dont want to wander into a merchant if your known as leaks and floods ltd, your life wont be easy! Slow down a bit, take stock save your cash and start lower down and gain some experience first and your gas porfollio will get done as you get to know people, and the money you save will help yopu live whilst things get going. If you think you know better, please let us know how your doing this time next year, ie new van or wondering if the bank is going to call in your overdraft!

This may not have answered your original question which is they dont exist, and only mugs rely on google for life changing answers, but I hope you rethink your way ahead.

My experience that allows me to answer and comment is, I qualified last year, i didnt do a time/money wasting short course, (all via college), started small, made friends, used my contacts and here i am, money in the bank and looking forward to a fruitful few years.
 
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at my college there doing a training course where they are saying with trainig and the asessments you will get your ACS and then gas safe without needing your portfolio they said with their foundation training i should become gas safe
 
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you have to have a portfolio of evidence the gas safe inspector can ask to see it during you probation
and anyone tht isnt out there doing hands on experience should never be working with gas
 
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I beginning to think that it will be worthwhile advertising for people to come with me to build a portfoilio, especially if they pay me £2500 for 4 weeks experience. Dec to feb recently they would have seen loads of breakdowns, new installs, floods etc, last month,a couple of services and 2 breakdowns, not a lot really and thats the business at present, hence why Ive had time to decorate at home, still they could always bring their own paint brush lol, all skills are a bonus nowadays
 
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newbie1 said:
you have to have a portfolio of evidence the gas safe inspector can ask to see it during you probation
and anyone tht isnt out there doing hands on experience should never be working with gas
Click to expand...


true - this scenario reminds me of them degrees you can buy off the internet .

its getting silly now 2500 grand for 4 weeks experience?

why did i have to do 4 yr apprenticeship to get the same qualifications as some bloke off the street can get in a few months with a bit of money!

no offence to you jamie as your doing what you can to get where you want - but this way of getting qualified in gas should be stopped - the gas and plumbing trade is not taking on for a reason - recession - its very quiet and some weeks we are struggling to get jobs, ive seen a post on here today for bathroom swaps for 150! and he is being undercut!

4 weeks experience with gas for 2500 grand people are ripping you off mate!!!

taking advantage of the fact people are struggling to find work and stripping them of there money to put them into a saturated trade which means theyre all undercutting genuine tradesmem who have worked bloody hard to get where they are!

and plumbing i could handle as everyone and there dog is haveing a go at it now - but come on lives are at risk with gas!!
 
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apparently because you are being trained in college that goes towards evidence . im assuming it goes towards your portfolio.good luck jamie it seems the only way is to go it alone to get experience i also think confidence play a big part in succeeding .
 
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you cannot build a portfolio in college it has to be out in the real world doing real jobs
anyone saying you can get experience in a workshop situation is a fool and anyone gouing out and doing jobs with only workshop experience is a danger
 
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philtheflush said:
apparently because you are being trained in college that goes towards evidence . im assuming it goes towards your portfolio.good luck jamie it seems the only way is to go it alone to get experience i also think confidence play a big part in succeeding .
Click to expand...

it counts towards but cannot be the entire evidence, still need alot from site
 
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the portfolio is required under the gas safe rules the training providor cannot bypass this and decide you are competent without having hands on experience
its ridiculous to say you can become gas safe by just going to a training center and verges on dangerous
more like pathway to disaster
 
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I am currently undertaking a 7 month BPEC Foundation Gas Course.
It is structured round a 2 week rotation. 2 weeks classroom training and 2 weeks on the job placement.
While on the job I must undertake various tasks and take photographic evidence. I must then use this material to make up a portfolio of at least 30 jobs that will be revewed by BPEC assesors when I pass my ACS at end. I will not complete course untill my portfolio is in order.
There is also a section that contains off job training where I will be assesed on various tasks such as pipework and installing boilers etc. within the training centre.
The training center gives training discounts to employers that take us on if we strugle to gain job placements on our own.

The downside is my placement is with company that does mainly local housing association work, so after first 3 months I am fairly proficient in servicing various boilers, but have little or no instal experience.

Beggars can't be choosers!
 
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Hello Jamie,

Much of what you hear is true. Certainly It is not possible to become an experienced engineer just by following someone around or paying large sums to spend time with an engineer. However contrary to the fear around this subject i work for a company who actually train and assess upcoming engineers in the field. This isn't just a case of getting photos to sit your ACS because even then you will be expected to spend a lengthy period of time building up real life SOLO experience before getting registered. Problem is which company is going to take you on without experience and pay you so they can teach you the ropes for a couple of years after you qualify ??? Common sense would answer that one. probably the best engineers i meet out here when i am assessing are those who have learned there trade on the tools not in classrooms. Never the less in a positive answer to your question if you select a company who's sole task is to use a qualified trainer and assessor / gas inspector to train you 1 to 1, who is then able to provide your actual on job NVQ (i.e. is out there assessing your solo competency after training) then you don't stand a chance. Most courses are training you in a classroom then expecting you or someone else to do the real work !!. I work for one of those companies that charges for its service, infact we were the 1st to start training on the job as a preferred method to in class, just as we do our own upcoming engineers, and there are those using such prices to emulate this. But these companies are on the net. When you ask them, don't ask numbers, and how long - because how long is how long it will take for you to competently prove to a gas inspector that YOU on your own can safely work on all the areas of gas you intend to work on. The scariest thing that is happening right now is that some colleges are even taking your ACS money up front, or letting you take your ACS Assessments before you have set one foot in the real world on your own. Remember Keywords when looking are " Who is doing the training, How Long !, Will i have actual certified evidence of competency by a registered assessor or field inspector not just photos. Too many unsafe engineers in the field already without the room for more.

Best Of Luck
 
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