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Plumbum

Hey guys,

I have recently attained my Level 2 & 3 NVQ technical certificates at a training centre in Surrey.

I have been looking around to get my foot in the door somewhere but i am really struggling. Is it the current climate in the industry that is preventing people taking on trainees or is there something more sinister (such as being trained at one of these fast track centres) that is making getting a job so hard?

If anyone has any advice on where I should be concentrating my job search or knows anyone in the Surrey area that may be able to help I would be very grateful.

Cheers
 
Hi. The fact you have had no advise is a reflection of the times. My only suggestion would be to lobby plumbers at the local merchants. At least if their buying there working. Good Luck
 
i thought you couldn't get the nvq's without working and being assessed on the job fulfilling certain criteria. i thought at a training center you could only get the city n guilds.
 
i imagine he means nvq level 2 and 3 which is what i have also. i also imagine the training centre in surrey was BTSC, and likewise i trained with them in manchester.

i can confirm that it is the full nvq with workplace assessments, but i did have to find the work myself. the certificates for level 3 nvq are withheld until the separate gas work portfolio is completed. it is this that is proving to be the stumbling block for many as most gas safe engineers won't entertain the idea of supervising someone who will ultimately become a competitor.

there is a company near me which will provide me with the necessary gaswork but i have to pay them to offset the fact that while supervising me the jobs will be completed slower and will thus affect their earning potential.

so in the meantime i'm doing little jobs here and there tryin to put aside the funds required to invest in my future

KJ
 
to be honest i thought they were brilliant on the training side of things. very comprehensive and intensive and required hours and hours of study each week to fully understand system design ,pipesizing, heat loss calculations (u-values) and all the technical stuff needed to get through the exams.

all the exams were city and guilds own pass marks of 80percent (now 70 but no resit) and 90 percent for the written ones open book.
a lot of students failed both the multi choice and written exams and were held back from progressing. some even failed the practical assessments...mainly because of time. it most certainly wasn't a case of ok so you've paid we will pass you which seems to be a complaint about other training centres.

although my own experience was fine there were many who complained about things mainly due to the fact that they were missold the course. complaints tended to be from the ones who found themselves beyond their comfort zone with the academic side of the training. my personal opinion is that they didn't really understand what becoming a plumber entailed and also didn't read and/or understand the terms of their contract and were just lashing out.

i think that some of the trainees (myself included) have the skills and knowledge to be an asset to any plumbing and heating business. whereas some are destined to return to what they did before while griping about the training they recieved. imho this speaks more of the calibre of the trainees than it does of the training centre itself.

overral my experiences with btsc have been positive (could have really done with a guarenteed job tho) and i feel i am equipped to do the job.

my advice to ANYONE CONSIDERING THIS PATH INTO THE INDUSTRY IS TO RESEARCH JUST WHAT IS ENTAILED!! the physics and complicated equations and calculations is something of a culture shock to the uninitiated. and remember that the exams and pass marks are set by C&G and are not dumbed down just because you paid a lot of money.

the onus is on you to ensure you know what it is you are going to get thrown at you. but the more you put into it the more you will get out of it.

KJ

p.s the guarenteed job i was promised went out the window when they went into administration and were taken over.
 
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