Rewarding Careers With Plumbing & Apprenticeships

Whatever the state of the national economy, people need good plumbers. Commercial work might be harder to find, but householders easily make up for the shortfall. We all know a neighbour or friend of a friend who couldn't get an emergency plumber for weeks! And then of course as people improve their homes, they need the services of a good plumber to fit the hot and cold water systems etc. So if you're looking for adult retraining, a plumbing course could be just the thing for you.

Grab Your Free Plumbing Research Document...

You can quickly get into profit once you've mastered the skills and passed your exams. 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.

As there are so many colleges and training courses out there, it will help to put things into perspective. 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. In reality the bulk of new career plumbers enter the domestic market working predominantly by and for themselves. This is hardly surprising when you realise how much work is out there, and the kind of money that decent plumbers can make.

Most domestic tradesmen and women find customers through other people they've worked for. Your technical skills will be gained through study and practical application, but you might also need to polish up your people skills. Getting along well with just one person may lead to many lucrative contracts. When you're in someone's home, try not to invade their privacy too much.

More often than not, plumbers in the commercial environment are employed to work a maximum forty hour week. If you plan to work for private customers though, your hours can be much more varied. Many working people can't afford to take time off work, so plumbers who will visit outside working hours can often get much better business.

You'll Always Be Able To Find Work...

There's a good deal of security when you've got the right plumbing skills. You'll be able to turn your hand to any number of jobs. You'll find the work rewarding - people are always grateful when you fix their problems or make life easier for them. You won't be bored with repetitive work that just becomes the same old thing. Each day will present you with new and interesting challenges.

Self-employed plumbers need to learn how to quote for jobs competitively and profitably. Which means covering all your overheads so you don't lose money. You'll get into the swing of things once you've done a few. Look for training companies that help out with this.

The Best Training For You

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.

Most young people entering the industry straight from school will opt for an apprenticeship style of training by blending on-the-job NVQ training with their FE studies.

But more mature career changers like to hang onto their old jobs whilst they study part-time. So the more flexible courses offered by specialist companies tend to be more geared towards adult re-trainers.

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

When you do your training course, you'll learn all about common plumbing processes and the key principles you need to know. It's also worth thinking about taking some extra courses so you can do more of a job yourself. It's very useful to know more about kitchen or bathroom fitting, or have expertise in gas.

The more skills you can offer the better business you'll have. You'll attract a bigger customer base and keep more of the profits for yourself. If you can take on small electrical tasks or handle gas whilst you're on a job, you won't waste time working to someone else's calendar.

To round up, if you're looking to work for yourself in private housing the most effective route will be via a specialist plumbing training company.