Plumbing

[natalie_1982]

My boyfriend really wants to get into plumbing, he's a labourer by trade and we have been saving for a deposit on a house but now are contemplating a �4000 plumbing course fee. 

 

So, would he be better paying the fee and we start saving again?  Or trying to get an appreticeship and earning a lesser wage for the time being?

 

Any other options on how to get 'into the trade'?

[natalie_1982]

Sorry to those of you who have already read this Q in People and Places but this section wasn't here then!

 

Good call Ed :o)

[mr. piper]

i would save your �4000 for buying tools and get in with a company as an apprentice, and get into college. you will be able to earn money doing jobs for people like changing taps and sinks etc. as long as you don't take on something out of your depth, pretty soon after you start training if you work at it. the only thing with these courses is that tradesmen that did it the "hard way" college etc. have no respect for fast track trainees, and don't generally give them a chance. that is my advice,i have been through it myself.

[Octavius]

Nat, agree with the pied piper.  The best trainging is on the job.  To expand the skills further (ie. get further technical background or qualifying certificates CORGI etc) then off to college.  There are some good sites, such as the CITB site, or summit...

 

 http://www.summitskills.org.uk/careers_pfds/England_plumbing.pdf

[natalie_1982]

Thanks for your answers, he didn't want to go to the course for the reasons you mentioned but felt that maybe it would be his only option.

[luckystrike]

Plumbing is an excellent career choice at the moment, as the construction industry is experiencing a severe skills shortage, across the board.  This is evident across the whole of the UK, and the widening of the EU has brought a lot of immigrant workers to fill the gaps.

 

I would contact the CITB - the Construction Industry Training Board - your boyfriend may very well qualify for a grant to encourage him to proceed, especially if he is already a skilled labourer.

 

Certainly, if you don't ask, you won't get.

[Jules001]

It might be worthwhile going to plumbers merchants and asking there as sometimes the plumbers who go in there mention they have got a lot of work on and are looking for someone to take on to train. I know as my brother is a plumber and tried to take on a local lad, but the lad wasn't reliable and my brother had to let him go, but this method shows initiative and your bf could then learn on the job which incidentally is how my brother learnt.

[FP]

Natalie.  Your boyfriend needs to contact the Joint Industrial Board for Plumbers.  The CITB does not train for plumbing.    If you are interested I can give you the right phone number for the JIB.