Becoming a Certified Plumber With Plumbing Courses
Whatever the state of the national economy, people need good plumbers. Although it's harder to find commercial work, there's a great deal of domestic business to pick up. Everybody knows of someone who's had difficulty getting hold of a plumber when they needed one. Plus of course even the DIY experts need a professional plumber when it comes to fitting a new bathroom suite. Consequently if you're considering a career change, you might well find that becoming a professional plumber fits the bill!
Grab Your Free Plumbing Research Document...
The money will soon start coming in once you've undergone specialised training and built your knowledge. For a professional, unbiased understanding of the industry's requirements, you can download a free copy of our indispensable guide to plumbing certifications. The information in it will help you to compare what's on offer from the different training colleges.
We recommend you download the book first and take time to get to grips with its contents. Then come back to this site and take a look at a number of the training colleges featured on the page. If you enter Ctrl 'D' this page will automatically save in your Favourites file.
Become Your Own Boss
A career change into the plumbing industry is often prompted by the desire to have a small self-run business. The majority of newly qualified plumbers over the age of twenty five choose to work for themselves in the domestic market. It's a sensible direction to take as there's plenty of money and jobs available for the right people.
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. Remembering to treat other people and their homes with respect will pay dividends down the road.
Employed commercial plumbers normally do an eight hour day, weekdays only. But if you're going down the domestic route, those hours should be a tad more flexible. Householders are often out at work themselves, and plumbers who are prepared to work some evenings and weekends can significantly boost their income.
Varied and Satisfying Work
There's always work available for plumbers and heating engineers. Once you've got yourself trained and certified, you need to get good at promoting yourself. The work's very fulfilling - you play an important role in people's day to day lives, so you're never just another number in a big organisation. The fact that you're moving around working in different properties all the time makes the work really interesting as well.
When you're working for yourself you have to know how to price jobs properly. Which means covering all your overheads so you don't lose money. Once you've done a few, it will all become very routine. Private training companies sometimes feature a course on working for yourself.
The Best Training For You
City & Guilds certification courses can be studied in both private colleges and state ones. Those looking to train straight from school usually find apprenticeship work where they can take NVQ's as well as City & Guilds.
However, those who are a little older usually prefer to do their training part-time alongside their current job. It's the private training companies that tend to attract mature entrants, because they service their needs better.
Students will progress through their training quicker with commercial companies, so although the fees are more expensive, they're in a position to start earning money much faster.
Ancillary Training
Any decent training programme will equip you for plumbing work in domestic properties. You'll also be able to qualify in supplementary skills which will allow you to take on bigger jobs yourself. If you take Part P for example you'll comply with the regulations for domestic electrical work. You'll find it easier to build your reputation if you provide some extra bolt-ons.
Your customer-base will broaden, and the jobs will be more profitable. Householders much prefer taking on tradesmen and women with a multitude of skills. Ultimately, if you're an adult looking to retrain for a new plumbing career, your best route is probably via a multi-skill set of courses with a private training company.
