Uncovering Plumbing Certificates - StraightForward Advice

To begin with newspapers appear to love discussing what can be earned in Plumbing. It is this need for trained Plumbers that has led to salaries of 30-70k p.a. being advertised. The question now is - are we being lied to, or is this the truth? To be fair, this wage level is reasonable for the correctly qualified and experienced Plumber. So whilst those working in the self-employed role can get incomes of 70-100k p.a., those working in more conventional employment routes often find it hard to achieve this salary.

If you are working for a traditional company within the UK, then the hours of Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm are normal. Furthermore from a UK employer, the usual perks are holiday pay and sickness allowance, as well as salaries of between 15k and 30k p.a. That said it is by working longer than typically 9am to 6pm, Mon to Fri that self employed people achieve higher incomes than those adopting a traditional approach. This is more noticeable when the self employed plumber chooses to work in the domestic market, as result often requiring many evening and weekend visits to suit their clients.

Also there is the factor of self-employment and whether it goes with some people more than others. The inclusion of key elements such as utilising good 'business sense', covering areas such as advertising and marketing and getting your own cost-per-hour correct is integral to the picture. To be fair most self-employed people will have to prepare for additional costs including those relating to legal and accountancy fees as well as those of transport and material usage. While these costs can mount up, so too do the benefits, however the costs should always remain a smaller part of the income generated. And the positives virtually always beat the downsides!

Student Entrants are generally looking for regular employment with a particular employer who can cover most of their working needs and teach them from experience. Alternatively, the Self Employed Entrant needs to quickly establish those certificates that they will rely on in industry. Having said that, the majority of self-employed workers do not join the business sector but focus on the 'domestic' market. (The majority do at the very least)

With reference to education in Plumbing, there is a likeness needed by each part of the industry in relation to the certification elements. The issue of NVQ's (or SVQ's in Scotland) nevertheless appears to cause some difference.

To begin with, the Student Entrant appears to rely more heavily on the NVQ structure than the Self Employed Entrant. Therefore many Self Employed Entrants will meet their clients' needs through the use of a wider range of certifications. In order to be able to meet the needs of the typical household, self-employed persons will need to rapidly gain key domestic-centred qualifications. The Student Entrant will often carry on their studies in the workplace under an apprenticeship where the NVQ element can be assessed. Considering that it is a cheaper way to study then the Student can make practical savings from the start. It is often by gaining certifications faster, by being motivated by a more commercial standpoint that the Self Employed Entrant will achieve considerable financial benefits before a Student Entrant.

To be sure the financial returns required is the result of clear careers discussions covering certification and the overall study requirements. It is often the issue of spending time at college and then having to go back to an apprenticeship for up to 3 years that proves difficult to many adults especially those that have a family to look after. Furthermore, many Student Entrants have their studies paid for them whereas the self-employed students fund the variety of course themselves. These courses can run between 3k through to 10k+, depending upon the course and level of certification required and that is something that people need to consider.

For the most part the private colleges are the domain of the Self Employed Entrant whereas the Student Entrant is required to study at recognised further-education colleges. Plumbing training companies can offer commercial routes in to reputable training paths that cover the necessary qualifications and skill-sets. The ability to train in evenings, part-time or in self study classes allowing people to continue with their existing job and maintaining their current financial situation remains one of the key advantages to Self Employed Entrants. With so many colleges at hand, the key is to secure as many with technical data sources and gather them. We've provided links and adverts from several, so why not book-mark this page (CTRL-D) so you can come back later to review your options.

It is through the use of bonus courses that many plumbing students want to increase their 'marketability'. Areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical training can offer additional qualifications to Plumbers. Forming part of the common domestic and commercial heating system, Plumbers have often opted for Gas Training.

With core subjects followed by NVQ's, Gas Training is a thorough and exact training program. For those who trained as a plumber these schemes offer many options for further development and can clearly seen to add additional skills to the table. It could be said, from that viewpoint, that a hybrid of Plumbing/Gas training would be more suited to the mature student. Indeed, the path for the Mature Student seems to be to drop the NVQ elements and to focus on the core subjects.

The self-employed professional appears to benefit from this distinct training mixture. There is a great empathy for earning money whilst learning a wider range of work skill sets. It is by removing the reliability on third party sub-contraction that results in the increase of the industrial package. Sub-contraction needs to be handled carefully as the erosion of customer satisfaction by having to wait for key work to be completed by third parties can result in a serious reduction in potential earnings. To be fair the more talent a Plumber has in their own job then the more they have to offer their client base.

In conclusion, the Self Employed Entrant can enjoy a much higher (and more quickly achieved) income than a Student Entrant, but they would have to work at developing a broader range of certifications (and consider the business side of things too.) Note: This information refers to the UK industry requirement and their policies alone.

(C) S. Edwards 2009. Browse around City & Guilds Plumbing Courses or Plumbing Training Courses.