JobQualification.co.uk

Career Development - Plumbing and Heating Courses

Retrain For A Rewarding Career As A Plumber

There will always be a nationwide demand for qualified plumbers and heating engineers. Work in the domestic field continues to thrive, despite the setbacks of recession. We constantly hear how difficult it is to get someone to fix a leaking tap or sort out a bathroom toilet. There's also loads of work to be had putting in downstairs loos, new showers, en-suites etc. as people are moving less and up-grading more. All of which means that re-training for a plumbing career could provide you with a very secure future.

Comprehensive Free E-Book

No matter what skills you start off with, the right training and qualifications will quickly launch you into your new career. To help you gain a better understanding of the different training paths available, we've written a very useful e-book that you can access without charge.

The information in it will help you to compare what's on offer from the different training colleges. Give yourself enough time to get up to date with all the facts in the book. Then come back to this site and take a look at a number of the training colleges featured on the page. A shortcut if you want to bookmark the page is Ctrl D.

Control Your Destiny...

A career change into the plumbing industry is often prompted by the desire to have a small self-run business. Most people training today will take on small domestic contracts in their local area. When you look at the kind of jobs that are around for anyone who's got a decent work ethic, it's a sensible move.

Try to build a good rapport with your clients - they're more likely to speak well of you to others if you do. Your technical skills will be gained through study and practical application, but you might also need to polish up your people skills.

Present yourself well, and work can come from surprising sources. Treating customers respectfully and courteously will always reap rewards.

As a rule, those working for commercial plumbers will put in around 37-40 hours, Mon-Fri only. If you plan to work for private customers though, your hours can be much more varied.

Householders are often out at work themselves, and plumbers who are prepared to work some evenings and weekends can significantly boost their income.

Rewarding Work For Years To Come...

If security and a decent income are high on your agenda, you must have skills that everybody needs. Good plumbers fit that bill. Emergency work makes you a hero, and everybody loves a new bathroom or kitchen so each job can be really satisfying. There's also a lot of variety, as you work in different homes with different clients. Plus you get to choose to work you take on.

To be competitive but still make decent money you'll need to get good at quoting accurately for jobs. This means allowing for your expenses as well as your time. Although it can be a bit daunting at first, most plumbers get the hang of it pretty quickly. Private training companies sometimes feature a course on working for yourself.

Where Do You Start?

Whether you opt to attend an FE college full-time, or study part-time with a commercial company, you'll need to qualify in certain C&G certifications. Young trainee plumbers in their teens tend to go for work experience as well as college to get practical NVQ certifications as well.

Older students generally enrol on part time courses and study around their existing commitments. This is why the various plumbing training companies offer courses that students can go through in their own time.

Private colleges will cost more initially, but the student looking for domestic self-employed work will gain relevant skill-sets much faster, and start generating income within months, not years.

Useful Add-Ons

Any decent training programme will equip you for plumbing work in domestic properties. You'll also be able to qualify in supplementary skills which will allow you to take on bigger jobs yourself.

You could get qualified to work on unvented hot water storage systems or water regulations or gas. If you have a broad ranging skill-set you'll be more in demand. Everything you take on will be more lucrative. You won't have to work around plasterers or electricians timetables if you can do small jobs yourself.

To summarise, the most profitable and efficient way to get into the domestic plumbing market is to train with a reputable private training company.