Checking Out Courses In Plumbing
Increase Your Income By Becoming a Certified Plumber
If you retrain and become certified as a plumber your skills will always be in demand. It's true to say we've seen a temporary lull in construction, but the demand for domestic plumbers still exceeds supply. Everybody knows of someone who's had difficulty getting hold of a plumber when they needed one. And as fewer people are moving house, more and more choose to upgrade their existing homes with new kitchens and bathrooms. So training to become a plumber might just be the best career move you could make!
FREE In-Depth Training and Career Report
Whatever your starting point, once you've picked up the skills you need and got the appropriate certifications, you can start to make money.But to avoid any confusion about what you need or don't need to know, we recommend you go through our detailed FREE Plumbing Research Booklet. The information in it will help you to compare what's on offer from the different training colleges.
We'd suggest you give yourself some time to read and digest the contents. And then read this feature again, and visit some of the college websites listed here. If you enter Ctrl d this page will automatically save in your Favourites file.
Become Your Own Boss
One of the most appealing things about retraining to become a plumber (or any other tradesperson for that matter) is the idea of being self-employed. Most people training today will take on small domestic contracts in their local area. It stands to reason that this is the case because the jobs and the money never dry up for committed and diligent workers.
As time goes on, most of your work should come as a result of recommendations from others - always ask for referrals. You'll learn your industry skills through a training college, but it's equally important to learn how to deal with people. (After all you never know who's considering your services!)
Politeness and good manners will always be remembered!
Commercial plumbers will usually work on weekdays only, typically 8am to 5pm. If you plan to work for private customers though, your hours can be much more varied. It can be quite difficult for some people to stay at home during the day waiting for a plumber, which means they're sometimes prepared to pay more for evening call-outs.
A Good and Secure Income
If security and a decent income are high on your agenda, you must have skills that everybody needs. Good plumbers fit that bill. The work is very satisfying, as you're either seeing a job through from beginning to end, or solving problems for people when emergencies occur. 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.
Plumbers who work for themselves must get to grips with doing quotations that win contracts at the right price. So as well as taking your time into consideration, you'll have to think about all your other costs as well. Once you've done a few, it will all become very routine. 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. Those looking to train straight from school usually find apprenticeship work where they can take NVQ's as well as City & Guilds. Older students generally enrol on part time courses and study around their existing commitments. So the more flexible courses offered by specialist companies tend to be more geared towards adult re-trainers. 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.
Supplementary Skills
Any decent training programme will equip you for plumbing work in domestic properties. Most colleges also offer additional skills training which you could consider if you want to offer a bigger package to your customers. You could get qualified to work on unvented hot water storage systems or water regulations or gas.
You'll find it easier to build your reputation if you provide some extra bolt-ons. You'll attract a bigger customer base and keep more of the profits for yourself. You'll avoid having to fit your work in with other trades people, and present a cleaner more streamlined result for the householder.
To sum up, if you're seeking a new career in a popular and well-paid sector, with job satisfaction and long-term security, you could just find your ideal work is plumbing.
