Level 2 evening course College in Berkshire - 1 year.

[fuzzy]

good luck, i hope it works out for you, im sure this will prove to be a very good course, just do it for the right reasons and know what you are getting. If you know all the facts and its for you then you will enjoy the course and so will the people with you.

I suspect they will be adding in 6128 training to add value to the course, this is fine but they need to let you know this is additional content they have added for value and is not part of the written scheme. If this is the case then you enter with all the facts

 

[fagsanbooz]

fuzzy is right on all counts!!!

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Just an update...

Attended collge yesterday evening. We had a discussion to make sure all isd as expected.

The outcome was we were told about the 4 C&G online exams we have to take. We will cover a unit then complete the online exam an dget result there an dthen, if failed options explaiend. All OK.

There are also 4 assessments that the tutors will carry out which are paper based and will eb face to face questioning. Again after each module is complete will be be given the assessment and results. All OK.

We went down to meet the practical tutor, who seems a very nice chap, he's not interested in college ettiquette etc!!! and just wants to teach us plumbing! Basically, he'll cover all the stuff on the 6128, bending, joining, hot an cold water, rads etc. and also get us into taps and other useful stuff we will be able to use in day to day plumbing. He'll do the assessments for C&G on the practical side. We were all happy.

We also had the progression route explained and if employed can enrol to do the 6189 NVQ L2 and so on. It's what I want so looking forward to it.

Thanks to Fuzzy with comments.

BTW, you know the monument pipe slice (red and yellow that opens up) are they any good? Been offered 15 & 22 mm brand new in packaging for £12 for the pair,. Any thoughts?

Thanks again.

 

[fuzzy]

Just an update...

Attended collge yesterday evening. We had a discussion to make sure all isd as expected.

The outcome was we were told about the 4 C&G online exams we have to take. We will cover a unit then complete the online exam an dget result there an dthen, if failed options explaiend. All OK.

There are also 4 assessments that the tutors will carry out which are paper based and will eb face to face questioning. Again after each module is complete will be be given the assessment and results. All OK.

We went down to meet the practical tutor, who seems a very nice chap, he's not interested in college ettiquette etc!!! and just wants to teach us plumbing! Basically, he'll cover all the stuff on the 6128, bending, joining, hot an cold water, rads etc. and also get us into taps and other useful stuff we will be able to use in day to day plumbing. He'll do the assessments for C&G on the practical side. We were all happy.

We also had the progression route explained and if employed can enrol to do the 6189 NVQ L2 and so on. It's what I want so looking forward to it.

Thanks to Fuzzy with comments.

BTW, you know the monument pipe slice (red and yellow that opens up) are they any good? Been offered 15 & 22 mm brand new in packaging for £12 for the pair,. Any thoughts?

Thanks again.

well i hope it works out for you. Im happeier you are making the correct decision if you are fully informed. Remeber thought it is only an access course and you will not be fully qualified on completion. It is not a pre requisite for 6189. The 6189 will be on site + theory units after access course. The 6128 was not plumbing but H&V, the 6129 is plumbing.

good luck

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Attended the 1st theory last night, getting into it! One disappointment is the lack of tools teh college have, 18 on teh course and 2 hacksaws and 2 heat guns - very poor we all thought. Going to take my own next week as can then get more done.

 

[fuzzy]

let us know how it goes

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Will do, cheers Fuzzy.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Update, enjoying course, theory stuff pretty basic but OK. Practical, disappointed that the college don't have too many tools, e.g. need to share a hand file with 6, gas torch with 10, not good enough. A questionm the X dimension business, it's like trying to unravel the problems of the universe!!!! Anyone have a simple solution they can put as an example on here please?

Other than that getting back into the swing, good mixed bunch.

Cheers all.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

x dimension is the depth of the fitting that the pipe goes into i.e. from the end to where the pipe stops in the fitting

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Thx, I have done some homework!!

The X dimension is the measurement from for example, the center of a 15mm equal 'T' to the end of the socket where the pipe would enter less the measurement of how far the pipe goes into the fitting. Easy when you have worked out a few but confusing the first time you hear it!

It's something I'll never forget!

Thanks all.

 

[fuzzy]

always measure centres with pipe, its the only constant

you then need to know what to knock off to transfer a c/c measurement to e/e, end to end and therefore the pipe length

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Quick update...

Course going OK, Monday night theory night turning into bit of a bore. Tutor just seems to pack us off to the library for an hour, then a break and then go though what we just researched with a varierty of answers, such as, how many different sizes of air con pipes are there? My answer 17, his answer 7 but may be 17!!! Not too impreseed an dneither are others, wer'e going to have a word next week although we hav ethe 1st of 4 assessments, pretty basic as expected, H&S, identify 10 plumbing hand tools, identify air con fittings, identify 4 tools with faults and state whether can use or not an dhow if possible to rectify, identify 3 hazards in workshop, suggest solutions an dmake a frame with air con pipe. Pretty simple.

Tuesday practical night very good, plenty more tools etc. Salty pld plumber excellent, getting on well, enjoy it.

As long as Mondays get sorted it'll be OK, few people want to leave due to crap Mondays, I am sure when we 'have a word' all will be sorted as we want to be taught, provided info not research what may well be incorrect info as it seems a complete cop out that as soon as we arrive wer'e told, go to library for an hour and research this or that!

Cheers all.

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Sounds to me like teacher is doing a reasonable job. Its interesting that people expect to be taught. We make assumptions that teaching leads to learning, and we are conditioned into sitting and receiving information like we did at school - this process is not a good way of constructing knowledge, because it relies purely on memory - and we find difficulty in remembering things that are not meaningful, or those things that we have not experienced yet.

The teacher is giving you some responsibility to discover your own knowledge and become familiar with research techniques. Have you chatted to the librarian for help in researching British Standards and other documents that might be available from the college library? In terms of learning this way, many students that were not used to doing homework, find this process difficult - because they would rather someone else did it for them (teacher), but this does not provide the same sort of knowledge.

Once you learn how to learn, the teacher becomes less important for the transmission of information, and you start to develop your own ways of collecting, reading, understanding and questioning the knowledge and the teacher. These skills will take you to highest level in education, whereas sitting as an empty vessel waiting to be filled up with information is not very productive.

My suggestion would be to ask the teacher if there is any way of connecting the practical in the workshop, with the theory in the classroom - to make it more relevant and interesting. It sounds like the qualification is laced with meaningless facts, which need to be explained through practical activities, or meaningful discussion in the classroom.

Glad your enjoying your practical sessions - you may want to extend your learning to finding out about professional bodies associated with the sector, and the junior memberships that they have (which include professional journals). Do some research on free manufacturers training - call honeywell, cylinder companies, tap companies and showers. I would also start to become familiar with British Standards - such as BS 6700, which underpins hot and cold water installations. You could also check out how much further learning you could do online - u-tube videos on gas burners, boiler installations, and solar - its all out there waiting to be learned and you don't have to wait to attend college to do it.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

all agreed, doing some research alone is a good thing but as you sau iy then meeds to be backed up in the classroom to corroborate the correct answers and discuss what the subject was actually about.

More updates soon.

 

[fuzzy]

i think good teaching forces the student to apply themselves, but in this case it sounds more like a cop out. as with all things in life a healthy balance is best