D
dontknowitall
< 0.004 = 
Great posts and I agree with your sentiments. Same applies to OFTEC too.
I'm new to the industry after a fast track course and lucky to have got off the ground and luckier to have found a more experienced plumber to work with from time to time. I'm not one of those to sit on my backside waiting for the next benefits payment to come in but equally I'm not a life trained plumber.
I do wish I knew more - I don't do gas but still feel that dread when going to a broken down boiler. Done a few installations (with this other plumber) and he tells me I know more than enough to do one on my own but I'm still not 100% convinced.
If I had my say with this I have much tougher exams - no open books and no exam taken within 2 weeks of the last training session. There would be two grades of membership:
1) Those newer qualifications (up to 5 years experience) who had to renew after another set of exams 5 years after their first (Associate Members). These people would have to be inspected twice in the first 6 months, once in the next 6 then once per year afterwards. The inspection wouldn't be pass or fail but more of on-site lessons as well as ensuring the important regulations were being adhered to.
2) Those who've proved 5 years of experience (Member) and would have occasional drop in inspections (one every 2 years?)
When you compare someone like me to someone like Tamz or GasMan there's no contest on knowledge of plumbing, diagnosis, knowledge of regulations, etc.
GasSafe (like OFTEC, REAL, ELECSA, etc) are just money making opportunities for those who happen to have been in the right place at the right time, in my opinion. They're clever people who know how to communicate with the Departments of State, Ministers, etc and it wouldn't surprise me if there's a fair amount of back scratching going on that we have no idea about.
Must get off my soap box before the moderators get me for slander, libel, etc, etc
:bucktooth:
Great posts and I agree with your sentiments. Same applies to OFTEC too.
I'm new to the industry after a fast track course and lucky to have got off the ground and luckier to have found a more experienced plumber to work with from time to time. I'm not one of those to sit on my backside waiting for the next benefits payment to come in but equally I'm not a life trained plumber.
I do wish I knew more - I don't do gas but still feel that dread when going to a broken down boiler. Done a few installations (with this other plumber) and he tells me I know more than enough to do one on my own but I'm still not 100% convinced.
If I had my say with this I have much tougher exams - no open books and no exam taken within 2 weeks of the last training session. There would be two grades of membership:
1) Those newer qualifications (up to 5 years experience) who had to renew after another set of exams 5 years after their first (Associate Members). These people would have to be inspected twice in the first 6 months, once in the next 6 then once per year afterwards. The inspection wouldn't be pass or fail but more of on-site lessons as well as ensuring the important regulations were being adhered to.
2) Those who've proved 5 years of experience (Member) and would have occasional drop in inspections (one every 2 years?)
When you compare someone like me to someone like Tamz or GasMan there's no contest on knowledge of plumbing, diagnosis, knowledge of regulations, etc.
GasSafe (like OFTEC, REAL, ELECSA, etc) are just money making opportunities for those who happen to have been in the right place at the right time, in my opinion. They're clever people who know how to communicate with the Departments of State, Ministers, etc and it wouldn't surprise me if there's a fair amount of back scratching going on that we have no idea about.
Must get off my soap box before the moderators get me for slander, libel, etc, etc
:bucktooth:
