Tamz has sewn it up pretty accurately on how and why things have come to pass. I like and agree with that summation. The only issue that keeps niggling me about being against the actual competency of fast trackers method is new practices. Materials are designed in such a way thsat anyone can fit them. Before plumbing was a craft. Now it is not. It's more of a science, technical. The installation techniques can and will be learnt on a job. The most important part of plumbing now is the theory; regulations; pipe sizing; systems designs for efficiency, which is learnt in college or an institution. This can be referred to when doing exterior work.
How much need is there really for apprenticeship? I'm not convinced there is. It helps of course, and the app trained plumber will have his little bag of tricks and may know from experience the best way to do something cz he's been bonked on the head with a spanner too many times to forget it and this is a good thing, but not essential. We have easy access to find out how to achieve something.
Like here for example. It's more worrying to me that there are complaints about competition, yet anyone who asks about plumbing(not gas) gets a full succinct description on how to do it. They may achieve a final working product, but to what cost? Is their client going to die of legionella pneumophilia because someone tapped into a feed from the anti parasitic trap from a cylinder because they don't know the full regs and why they are there? And much more besides. All someone needs to do is get themselves a few compression or pushfit fittings and the job is done. And we taken the ability for someone to earn who is correct for the job. This is ok on some things although not all. I for one am not going to give advice so completely anymore and will be more guarded for those reasons.
I worked for developers and was horrified at what they do. Everything is covered up so you can't see the appauling workmanship but it works, it's hidden and no one's the wiser. I've been taught to take pride in what you hide. 5 mtr runs of about 10 pipes, no clips bundled twisting together on each other, no joke; it looked like I was viewing stranded flex electrical cable under a microscope. I'm just saying that there are more charlatans out there than people who are fresh with the spec tech in their minds and can do the job safely but a little shaky on cnfidence.
Another issue I have which is more pertinent is that gas fitters come out of college after a short stint and claim to be plumbers. I got asked to jump on a job whith somesuch fellow and they didn't have a clue. One of them tee'd into a waste outside for the new shower waste I run and told him where to connect. After I asked him what he done with the existing waste and he said "nothing". He was prepared to leave an open waste under the shower with no regard to future flooding vapours explosions etc. Saying we weren't taught plumbing in the centre. Scary. Lucky I thought to ask. Anyway, I done most of the work, the job was a ballsup in the end cz I couldn't do everything in the timespan and redone many things but not all. We had deadlines, but the guy left me there on my own cz he had 'guitar practice'???? WTF? hmm, thinking about that makes me change my mind again on importance of apprenticeship. At least they have an ingrained love and loyalty for the trade.
Just a point if view. I'm ambivalent to the matter at the mo.
