Now then
The ten weeks are up and what an amazing journey it was.
In the light of my previous posts I thought I ought to do a wrap up on how the course went, what I got out of it, and how I feel it equips me for the future.
The ten weeks flew by, all of a sudden its spring and the mornings are light and the suburbs are full of people wanting new kitchens.
The course got better and better as it went on, after a boring start with Joe Awkward the course really did exceed my expectations, and despite working myself up into a state a couple of times I was able to pass all my exams.
Yes there was the unfortunate falling out with George, but the mark of great customer service isn’t what happens when things are going well, its measured by how things are handled when they are going badly and VIY passed with flying colours.
I posted what I thought was a lighthearted review of the course so far and George was mortified to see himself mentioned and flew of the handle.
What I could never have known at the time is that George has been the victim of cyber crime and any mention of VIY online causes him enormous stress. He felt threatened and over reacted, I felt bullied and put my tin helmet on, he apologized, I accepted his apology and we’ve gotten on famously since then. It takes a very big man to make a heartfelt apology in front of his customers and staff, but it was what was needed and George’s apology was defiantly sincere.
Enough of the spat – what was the course like?
The training has two outputs
Teaching plumbing skills and techniques
Teaching regulations and how to understand and pass the exams
The two different streams are occasionally at odds with each other and team VIY make a good job of riding both horses.
The exams
With the average age of students being mid 30’s it’s been a while since most of us had sat in a class room, let alone sat an exam. So Mark had his work cut out keeping our attention and soothing our pre exam nerves. Although most of us passed most exams first time. The exams were an interesting bone of contention amongst the students. The actual content of the exams is fairly easy as it relates to plumbing and the water regulations. However the way the exams are put together by the NVQ people is frankly rubbish, frequently the exam papers contradict the course work, or the technical terms we’ve been taught and read in the books are not used. If I were being cynical I might think that the person who puts the exam papers together is trying to reduce the pass rate by making the papers less relevant to the books and practice of plumbing.
The Water Regs
When you first receive your huge folder of densely typed legalese the regs look really daunting. But they actually only come down to a few principles and the summery at the end of each chapter explains what you need to know in English.
GOLA
This is the biggest exam you sit and was the only exam we sat using computers and it’s closed book. I was shocked and delighted to find that I KNEW THE ANSWERS. Fairly stressful but as another poster on this thread reassured it is actually just going over stuff you’ve already learned.
BPEC
Unvented systems and energy efficiency were not the most thrilling Saturday mornings I’ve ever spent, but the certification does open some doors.
Part P
Firstly DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT GOING ON A PLUMBING COURSE THAT DOSEN”T INCLUDE PART P – lots of plumbers don’t have it but three out of five offers of work I’ve had have been as a result of having it.
The exam isn’t easy or really related to you ability to safely work on electrical systems. The practical was straightforward but most of the exam is about your ability to look up regulations is a very thick book.
I’ve got big Mark up one last time here: He was a fantastic tutor, without his input the days would have dragged by; instead he kept an endless stream of banter going with the students, answered every question as many times, in as many different ways as he had to, ensuring that everyone had got the point. His endless patience was a credit to him and to VIY.
The practical
VIY have this part SO right I cannot say enough good things about Brian, Simon and Steve’s patience and practical insights. Everyone found some part of the process they could take a delight in, and even the least experienced members of the class were soon turning out neater plumbing than I’ve seen in many people’s houses.
Simon is the most patient and avuncular man alive. His quiet charm really did inspire huge confidence in everyone. He was always on hand to offer guidance and a word of encouragement. Simon may have missed his vocation – if he could teach me that much maths in that short a time, maybe he should have been a teacher and the numptys who failed to teach me at school should have been plumbers!
Brian was already plumbing when god was in short trousers, and can not only answer any question you could ever think of, but can give you the historical perspective on how a fitting was developed or a regulation evolved in the transition from water bylaws to water regulations. If you’re interested in developing another revenue stream he is the man to go to when you want to learn lead working – a real traditional plumbers skill.
Steve taught the maintenance sessions and if it hasn’t happened to him it doesn’t involve plumbing. What ever you ask, he’s seen it and three different ways to fix it. I really enjoyed his sessions and even when we were in the hell of low carbon steel he was a beacon of good cheer.
So ten weeks on I’ve learned a lot and in my first week have already found two prospects and three jobs.
Would I recommend VIY
YES.
Suburban Plumber
