URGENT Sub contract vs employed (newly qualified)

[aurora123]

Hi

I've recently qualified as a gas engineer , for the time i was training at the college , i was working as a apprentice for about 6 months. For these 6 months i was assisting on many types of jobs including basic plumbing jobs like gas runs, taps and toilet installs but majority focused on boiler breakdowns and installs. I wanted to know would it be best for me to go employed and gain experience because i'm very new. If you recommend so , can you tell which companys/firms are best to work for from previous experience. I have also been given a option to subcontract with a company who offer basic gas services, gas certs and breakdowns but all expenses such as fuel etc will be on me. So i'm kind of confused. Just to reinstate i am new but have basic experience with working with boilers, so please give me the best advice.

thanks

 

[snowhead]

The problem you wil have on gas breakdowns its lack of knowledge and no-one you can turn to for help.
You need to be employed and have the support of others more experienced.

 

[aurora123]

The problem you wil have on gas breakdowns its lack of knowledge and no-one you can turn to for help.
You need to be employed and have the support of others more experienced.

ah ok, would you say any company to start of with?

 

[Timmy D]

The problem you wil have on gas breakdowns its lack of knowledge and no-one you can turn to for help.
You need to be employed and have the support of others more experienced.

I agree, it will be a hard slog going out by yourself at this stage.

Get some experience with a safety net behind you and then in the future you can go alone.

Where in London are you?

 

[aurora123]

I agree, it will be a hard slog going out by yourself at this stage.

Get some experience with a safety net behind you and then in the future you can go alone.

Where in London are you?

i'm based in east london , you recommend i continue to work as a apprentice?

 

[Chuck]

Try to think about what type of work you want to be doing five/ten years down the line (domestic / commercial, plumbing / heating / gas, renewables, etc.) and try and get employment that will give you experience and further training in that area. If it's an area where self-employment is viable then aim to pick up some basic business skills (marketing, finance / accounts, planning, etc.) along the way.

 

[aurora123]

Hi chuck,

Thanks for the reply, sorry i didn't mention what i was looking to do down the line. I'm aiming to become self-employed , working in domestic then moving to commercial. Due to my age factor; I'm 20 and by the looks of gas coming to a end by 2026, it doesn't necessarily mean all gas works will come to a end due the existing installations etc etc . This means I will still work with gas but want to move on renewable energy. This primarily why i want to work for boiler manufactures e.g. baxi , since they are working on renewable which will essentially give me a head start.

 

[Timmy D]

Hi chuck,

Thanks for the reply, sorry i didn't mention what i was looking to do down the line. I'm aiming to become self-employed , working in domestic then moving to commercial. Due to my age factor; I'm 20 and by the looks of gas coming to a end by 2026, it doesn't necessarily mean all gas works will come to a end due the existing installations etc etc . This means I will still work with gas but want to move on renewable energy. This primarily why i want to work for boiler manufactures e.g. baxi , since they are working on renewable which will essentially give me a head start.

There will still be gas boilers installed after 2026, we’re no where near the stage that we can stop using gas.

You’re 20 years old. You’ve no need to rush to self employed. The gains you can make at your age working with experienced people are huge, as the experience will last your whole working career.

I had an apprentice that came to me after a quick gas college gas course. He was qualified to fit a boiler but knew Damn all about anything else.

Didn’t have a good understanding about heating/domestic water systems. Couldn’t fault find a broken pump/zone valve/vented system etc.

There is so much more to the gas ‘industry’, than gas. The gas part is tiny.

Not to Rubbish on your current achievement/s (you’ve done great to get qualified at your age, it shows you have the potential to be great), but with your current experience level, you’d likely fail at efficiently fault finding 80%+ boiler/heating system breakdowns.

I can see you want to learn as you’re asking for advice, so don’t take my words to heart and stop to progressing. I reckon you need a minimum of a year experience (and that’s pushing it, ideally 3), before going by yourself.

 

[Knappers]

My advice is not to chase the money. At your age and experience level support is invaluable. Working under more experienced engineers may feel like your being held back but that experience will be invaluable later on.

 

[aurora123]

There will still be gas boilers installed after 2026, we’re no where near the stage that we can stop using gas.

You’re 20 years old. You’ve no need to rush to self employed. The gains you can make at your age working with experienced people are huge, as the experience will last your whole working career.

I had an apprentice that came to me after a quick gas college gas course. He was qualified to fit a boiler but knew Damn all about anything else.

Didn’t have a good understanding about heating/domestic water systems. Couldn’t fault find a broken pump/zone valve/vented system etc.

There is so much more to the gas ‘industry’, than gas. The gas part is tiny.

Not to Rubbish on your current achievement/s (you’ve done great to get qualified at your age, it shows you have the potential to be great), but with your current experience level, you’d likely fail at efficiently fault finding 80%+ boiler/heating system breakdowns.

I can see you want to learn as you’re asking for advice, so don’t take my words to heart and stop to progressing. I reckon you need a minimum of a year experience (and that’s pushing it, ideally 3), before going by yourself.

My advice is not to chase the money. At your age and experience level support is invaluable. Working under more experienced engineers may feel like your being held back but that experience will be invaluable later on.

Thanks for the reply guys

I agree 100% there is a great deal to learn and to pick up because i'm really unexperienced. But The only tradesman or person i can go with at the moment has only been qualified for 2 years. The jobs he comes across i diagnose alongside with him so as funny as it sounds i learn only when he comes across something new aswell. There is another man i could go work as a apprentice but he just does installs.