Need advice!!!

[jdavis121]

Basically im 17 and just quit my college course as it just wasnt for me and was looking into plumbing, would people recomend an apprenticeship? or a full time plumbing course? do you still have to attend a college even if you get an apprenticeship? and how long does it take before id be a qualified plumbing/ gas fitter etc. im living in north london and i have no idea where to look for an apprenticeship so any help would be very useful.

 

[Dannypipe]

Plumbing is a hard area to break into, as it's mainly a network of small firms. Small firms generally can't afford to pay an apprentice to learn these days....especially as they may bugger off and pitch up as the competition as soon as they know what they're doing!!

Maybe look to the bigger firms BG, or Pimlico for an apprenticeship?

 

[Orry Clayton]

Basically im 17 and just quit my college course as it just wasnt for me and was looking into plumbing, would people recomend an apprenticeship? or a full time plumbing course? do you still have to attend a college even if you get an apprenticeship? and how long does it take before id be a qualified plumbing/ gas fitter etc. im living in north london and i have no idea where to look for an apprenticeship so any help would be very useful.

You shouldn't of quit college without first having a secure back-up. What was you studying?
As for becoming qualified, usually about 4 years before you'll be competent. There are fast-track courses, but these are aimed at people who have industry knowledge/experience.

 

[Avatar]

Don't do it - think about going into something else that might actually have a future in the present economy as plumbing is completely ruined now!

People do not have the disposable income for installs so much now, running your own business is a joke and as for getting an apprenticeship even in a big company - good luck with that!!!!

The best advice I can give you is look elsewhere mate. Are you technically minded? What were you doing previously?

I wish I had gone into just about anything OTHER than plumbing. I may be off to get a nice secure job in Asda soon and think myself lucky!!!!

I get more people asking for apprenticeships than I get asking for new bathrooms, and I tell them there is no chance.

Most can barely support themselves at the moment . . . .

Good luck!

 

[JON]

All the good ones are busy........17 and just starting out I would say go for it, maybe do a taster course at college 1st before rushing into it (just to see if you like it & it likes you). I would advise you to either speak to your local college or careers advice center. Dont just ring around companies as they get these sort of calls all day. Good luck

 

[Dannypipe]

Kind of agree with Jon. If you're only 17 years young, then why not have a crack at it?

I just think you should be clear, that it isnt easy to get into these days. If you had a contact,relative who will help train you up, then great. Otherwise you will find yourself as another 18 year old lad with a technical certificate in plumbing, who still doesn't know what he's doing, and no one want to employ.

I have personally employed two 17/18 year old lads with NVQ tech certs and they were both so green it was unreal. The colleges aren't in my opinion, getting these guys ready for even basic work in the real world, and small firms like mine, can't afford to watch over someone like a hawk.

As for being busy. Everyone I speak to is busy as ever, including myself. Personally I'm booked up until the new year, and pricing work for newxt year. I think it depends on the area you live in.

 

[JON]

if jamaica can have a bobsled team why cant you make it as a plumber?

 

[Ray Stafford]

The OP is only 17, so it makes sense to take a long view.

So long as people s**t, shower, shave and shiver, there will be a need for plumbers and heating engineers.

At the moment, times are tough for some because of three factors:

1) Stupid media articles about plumbers earning unrealistic wages have driven up the number of entrants.
2) The collapse in housebuilding has driven lots of tradesmen into the domestic market
3) Changes in EU immigration rules has drawn in a lot of east europeans

If you view it from the perspective of a 17yr old, likely to be 40 - 50 years in the trade, all these are very short term factors, and will go away. Over 5 decades there will be some recessions, some boom times and some ordinary conditions.

I believe its more important to consider

a) Whether you are comfortable with the lifestyle - moving from job to job, periods of feast and famine etc
b) Whether you are prepared to put in 5 - 10 years to become a skilled tradesman
c) Whether you are naturally a practical person.
d) Whether you like working largely on your own.

If you can answer yes to all of these, then I wouldn't let the short term issues put you off. If you can't, then you should probably look in a different direction.

 

[petercj]

If you contact your local College of Further Education they should be able to explain the courses they run, including any linked to apprenticeships.

People will always need to keep warm and have water available in their homes, so there will always be work around.

Good luck!

 

[Simon F]

Plumbing is not an easy option.
It will take several years of determination and effort to get the qualifications and experience/confidence.
if you are completely focused then you can succeed at whatever you set your mind to (maybe some exceptions to that rule!)
the track record you have set, does not bode well to become a plumber!

 

[Avatar]

All the good ones are busy........17 and just starting out I would say go for it, maybe do a taster course at college 1st before rushing into it (just to see if you like it & it likes you). I would advise you to either speak to your local college or careers advice center. Dont just ring around companies as they get these sort of calls all day. Good luck

All the lucky ones are busy more like! Busy does not mean good does it? I don't like what you are implying quite frankly JON. Don't just waft onto this site throwing insulting comments around. You haven't come over from Screwfix Forum have you? We try and keep things nice on the site thanks . . .

I have my own company and have for years with quite a lot of success. Some are doing ok, and many are not - I am well connected to the industry down here in the South of England and I can tell you that everyone is feeling the pinch in some way or another down here.

I have a friend who is timeserved for 40 years and is still going out of business so to the OP do not make stupid presumptions like JON and research the market well before you move into it.

It would be a shame to waste your better years on training if there isn't a job at the end of it . . . .

 

[hammers4spanner]

Personally after 20 years of plumbing i wouldn't advise my own children to enter this trade, my advice would be to look at the navy or the RAF and learn telecoms or something along those lines . Or if you really want a trade then look at plastering /tiling for e.g as they are trades where you can bog off home at four o clock instead of trying to get water on or chasing a gas leak !!

 

[Blake]

It's like groundhog day reading these posts

 

[JON]

All the lucky ones are busy more like! Busy does not mean good does it? I don't like what you are implying quite frankly JON. Don't just waft onto this site throwing insulting comments around. You haven't come over from Screwfix Forum have you? We try and keep things nice on the site thanks . . .

I have my own company and have for years with quite a lot of success. Some are doing ok, and many are not - I am well connected to the industry down here in the South of England and I can tell you that everyone is feeling the pinch in some way or another down here.

I have a friend who is timeserved for 40 years and is still going out of business so to the OP do not make stupid presumptions like JON and research the market well before you move into it.

It would be a shame to waste your better years on training if there isn't a job at the end of it . . . .

After reading your post it seems to me that you are the one making presumptions (no im not from any other forum). And at what point did I insult anyone (that isnt my aim). Times are hard for some, yes I know that! If for any reason you think iv insulted you or anyone else the read back through the post and try not to over analyze what iv said. If he trains now the he will be looking for work in 3-4 years time at which point there maybe abit of a boom. Im not on here to argue with you but neither am I here to shoot a 17 year old lad down.

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Don't feel to down hearted at changing your options at 17, many people have been known to do this in their younger years.

With regard to plumbing, I don't know where you would find good advice. I could be wrong as well, but would appreciate further information from anyone else on this:

Statistics that are missing (withheld), but from all of the information given is:

How many people nationally, do we need each year to do plumbing and gas? (summitskills data sqs 2010 = 3,000).
How many people are currently coming into the industry each year, and over the past five years? (unknown, but estimated at 30,000-50,000 per anum since 2007).

The supply is at least ten times the demand - which is not good business.

Well done for asking the question, and good luck in the career you choose!