Thinking About Plumbing Apprenticeships – An A-Z
The figures explaining how much Plumbers can earn is often talked about in the papers. Within the UK, the figures of 30-70k p.a. are typical of Plumbers, mainly down to their low numbers. The question now is – are we being lied to, or is this the truth? Without a doubt, a fully experienced Plumber can command salaries of such levels. To be fair, the higher earnings of 70-100k p.a. are generally for those working within the self-employed field.
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. A self-employed person can earn more money than this traditional approach, but will often need to work outside of the Mon- Fri, 9am to 6pm example. This is more common in the domestic market where self employed plumbers often have to work evenings and weekends to suit those clients that work during the week.
On a personal level remains the issue self-employment, something that does not become everybody. This can include getting to grips with advertising & marketing, getting your own cost-per-hour correct and the need to learn and use good ‘business’ sense. There are additional charges levied to people who work for themselves including legal and accountancy fees as well as those relating to materials and transport. Although it is expected that these can be relatively small in relation to the earnings overall they can mount up, but then so can the benefits. Plus the profits nearly always beat the odds!
Often customary work from employers attracts Student Entrants especially if it meets their needs training in working knowledge and experience. On the other hand, the Self Employed Entrant needs to increase their list plumbing credentials as soon as possible. In fairness it is the ‘domestic’ market rather than the commercial sector that attracts the majority of the self-employed workers in the UK. (Whilst not everyone does the majority do!)
There does appear to be some union between certification relating to each path of Plumbing education and hence the industry. There is considerable divergence though when the issue of NVQ’s (SVQ’s in Scotland) comes into play.
To begin with the NVQ structure appears to be much more important to the Student Entrant than to the Self Employed Entrant. In trying to meet their client’s needs many Self Employed Entrants will employ a wider range of qualifications. Certainly, it is the qualifications aimed at meeting the needs of the typical household-based client base that self-employed persons need to focus upon. The Student Entrant will often carry on their studies in the workplace under an apprenticeship where the NVQ element can be assessed. As it is cheaper form of study overall then the Student Entrant can make financial savings from the beginning. 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. For adults with demands of say a 20kp.a and a family to look after, the prospect of going back to college and spending a further 3 years in low-paid apprenticeship work can be very daunting. Equally, many self-employed students fund the courses themselves whereas the Student Entrants often have their studies paid for them as part of their overall apprenticeships. 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.
Self Employed Entrants can consider a wide range of private technical colleges as opposed to the reliance on further-education colleges and that differentiates them from Student Entrants. It is the lead into familiar skill-sets and qualifications that commercially fixed plumbing course companies offer as part of their training paths. One of the main advantages of this method is the opportunity for evening, part-time, and self-study classes – allowing Self Employed Entrants to train whilst continuing with their existing job, thus maintaining their financial situation. With the high number of colleges it makes sense to gather as much technical data as you can. We’ve provided links and a book mark to this page (CTRL-D) so you can come back whenever you wish and review the adverts and options available to you.
Many plumbing students will increase their ‘marketability’ through the use of further courses. It is by training in areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical that Plumbers can gain extra certifications. Gas training has always been a route for Plumbers to consider, as this forms part of the common domestic and commercial heating system.
Gas Training is considered a dedicated training program with key subjects followed by important NVQ’s. The opportunity for on-going training is for those who trained first as a plumber and are now seeking to add some extra skills to their repertoire. From this stance, the mature student is often more suited to a cross of Plumbing/Gas training. Indeed, the path for the Mature Student seems to be to drop the NVQ elements and to focus on the core subjects.
It is this distinct training hybrid that appears to suit the self-employed professional. The opportunity to earn money whilst at the same time gain a wider range of skills is certainly part of the attraction. Instead of having to rely upon third parties to complete certain skill-sets, this adds to their commercial viability. 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 have a higher value within their client base a Plumber needs to consider their relative skill sets that they offer.
Finally, whilst the Student Entrant breaks into the industry more quickly the Self Employed Entrant has the opportunity for higher potential earnings, but to do so they need to develop a broader range of certifications and a higher level of business skill sets. Note: The above information is solely relative to the UK market, industry requirements and policies.
(C) 2009 – S. Edwards. Hop over to City & Guilds Plumbing Courses or Plumbing Certificates.
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