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Adult Careers & UK Plumbing Colleges

Always Fancied Learning a Trade Skill? - Why Not Become a Plumber?

Plumbers are always in demand throughout the UK whatever the time of year. Commercial work might be harder to find, but householders easily make up for the shortfall. We're always hearing of people who've had challenges finding a professional to sort out their plumbing emergencies. And with bargain kitchen units and bathroom suites from the likes of B&Q, householders are always on the lookout for decent trades-people to fit them. Consequently if you're considering a career change, you might well find that becoming a professional plumber fits the bill!

Comprehensive Free E-Book

Whether you're already quite handy, or it's all completely new to you, once you're trained and certified there's work to be had. To help you gain a better understanding of the different training paths available, we've written a very useful e-book that you can access without charge.

You'll find it helpful when trying to differentiate between the various courses that training companies offer. Give yourself enough time to get up to date with all the facts in the book.

Then log on to this webpage again and request information from any of the colleges listed here. If you Bookmark this website (press Ctrl D) you'll be able to retrieve it instantly.

Control Your Destiny...

Many people train as plumbers so that they can join the ranks of the self- employed and have more control over their lives. Generally speaking most newly trained plumbers over thirty go for domestic work that they can take care of by themselves. This is hardly surprising when you realise how much work is out there, and the kind of money that decent plumbers can make.

Try to build a good rapport with your clients - they're more likely to speak well of you to others if you do. A training college will cover all your trade skills, but your attitude and manners will be down to you. Getting along well with just one person may lead to many lucrative contracts. It's amazing how much work is lost through sloppy attitudes and general discourtesy.

Employed commercial plumbers normally do an eight hour day, weekdays only. However, plumbers working in the domestic market should expect to offer greater flexibility. Working people will want to get to know you first before leaving you in their homes unaccompanied.

Rewarding Work For Years To Come...

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. It's fair to say that your days are filled with solving people's problems - if someone's had a burst pipe, or no water for hours, they'll welcome you like a long lost son! 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.

To be competitive but still make decent money you'll need to get good at quoting accurately for jobs... Which means covering all your overheads so you don't lose money. It sounds complicated, but it's quite straightforward really. Look for training companies that help out with this.

What's The Next Step?

Both Further Education colleges and private training companies should feature basic plumber training in City & Guilds certifications. Young trainee plumbers in their teens tend to go for work experience as well as college to get practical NVQ certifications as well.

But adult career movers usually keep their old jobs whilst they study evenings and weekends on the new one. That's why so many private colleges have emerged, which cater for career changers who sometimes only need domestic training. 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.

Bolt-On Extras

When you do your training course, you'll learn all about common plumbing processes and the key principles you need to know.

You might also consider some ancillary extras so that when you're doing domestic jobs you can cover most things yourself without having to sub certain jobs out. It's very useful to know more about kitchen or bathroom fitting, or have expertise in gas.

Having additional skills will make it easier to build your name. Your work will be more evenly spread all year round. There'll be no waiting around for bathroom fitters or tilers if you can do the work yourself - and the customer will be much less inconvenienced. In conclusion, broad-based commercial plumbing courses are the quickest and most efficient route into the self-employed domestic market.