Careers-Advisor.co.uk

New Careers With Plumbing Apprenticeships

Retrain For A Rewarding Career As A Plumber

There will always be a nationwide demand for qualified plumbers and heating engineers. The building industry has clearly slowed down, but work in domestic properties is flourishing. Everybody knows of someone who's had difficulty getting hold of a plumber when they needed one. And with bargain kitchen units and bathroom suites from the likes of B&Q, householders are always on the lookout for decent trades-people to fit them. All in all then, enrolling on a plumbing course can be a very smart career move.

Free In-Depth Information

The money will soon start coming in once you've undergone specialised training and built your knowledge. 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. And then return to this page to refer to any of the training companies offering plumbing courses. You could put it in your Favourites file to make it easier to find again.

Run Your Own Business

Something that appeals to many adult re-trainers is the concept of being their own boss. It's true to say that just about all those who enter the industry as adults start working for themselves very quickly. 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. The best plumbers get a big chunk of their work through word of mouth once their reputation's established.

Your training will give you the technical know-how, but it's also important to use good people skills whenever you're around others. You just don't know where the next job's coming from... It's amazing how much work is lost through sloppy attitudes and general discourtesy.

Trades-people who work on commercial projects are generally employed daytime hours, Monday to Friday. However, plumbers working in the domestic market should expect to offer greater flexibility. Be prepared to work later to give householders quotations for home improvements - once they trust you they'll be willing to leave you in their home during the day.

A Good and Secure Income

The great thing about plumbing skills is they'll set you up for life. Whether a house is ten years old or a hundred years old, it still needs water and heating! You'll find the work rewarding - people are always grateful when you fix their problems or make life easier for them. Every day brings new experiences and challenges, so you never need to be bored, and you're not restricted to working in one place all the time.

When you're working for yourself you have to know how to price jobs properly. You can either charge a daily rate, or a price for the job. Whichever you do, make sure you've included all your expenses. It sounds complicated, but it's quite straightforward really. Business management is included in the coursework with some commercial trainers.

The Right Course For You...

All industry recognised plumbing training courses lead to C&G (City & Guilds) certifications as a minimum. Students leaving school will typically go to college full-time followed by work experience and NVQ's. Older students generally enrol on part time courses and study around their existing commitments. This is where the private training companies score best, as they offer flexible programmes with courses that will cover the needs of the domestic plumbing market. Even though students in commercial colleges train part-time, they can gain knowledge quickly by focusing on the level of training needed for the domestic work they'll be doing.

Bolt-On Extras

Plumbing courses will cover the various skills that you'll need to work on water systems and central heating etc. It's also worth thinking about taking some extra courses so you can do more of a job yourself. You could get qualified to work on unvented hot water storage systems or water regulations or gas.

It's a big positive to have several strings to your bow. You can service more clients' needs, and make more money each month. There'll be no waiting around for bathroom fitters or tilers if you can do the work yourself - and the customer will be much less inconvenienced.

Ultimately, if you're an adult looking to retrain for a new plumbing career, your best route is probably via a multi-skill set of courses with a private training company.