The apprentice route
How do I become an plumber?
Starting out
Before you even approach a potential employer concentrate on your grades, particularly Maths and English. Physics and ICT are also beneficial. Many employers, certainly some of the larger employers, insist on at least C grades in your GCSE's and having these grades can help even further when you get to college.
Finding an employer
The hardest part of becoming a plumber is finding an employer. There is still some reservation on behalf of employers to take young trainees on mainly due to wage costs and being let down in the past, you need to convince them (and also believe yourself) you are the worth the investment.
When approaching a prospective employer, there are some fundamental points you need to take into account. Do not be comfortable with just sitting down and waiting for the opportunity to happen, chase the apprenticeship and be prepared when you get an interview. Remember, an employer is looking for reliability, punctuality, initiative and motivation above all other skills:
- Source and list the local plumbing companies. Yellow Pages or Yell.com, word of mouth or family, the internet and your college can all be sources of information to track down an employer.
- Send a letter. Professionally written in a professional format and get someone to proof read and grammar check it before it gets sent. Do not rely on that letter you had to do at school in English, go to the local Connexions or other career offices and seek help. Remember that although textspeak is how you communicate with your friends, an employer is likely to view this as being illiterate.
- Include a CV with the letter highlighting your strong points. Have you had a part time job? Can you demonstrate you have been reliable in the past? Keep the CV short and informative. Your local college or careers advisors again such as Connexions may be able to help you with a professional version and getting the content right to sway an employer in your direction.
- Follow up the letter after a few days with a phone call. Many plumbing and heating employers are very busy people, often looking and sourcing the next job, letters may just be filed and forgotten. Let them know you are interested and enthusisatic and most of all, motivated. A phone call once a week indicates you are interested in the position without being annoying.
- Once you have been successful in finding an employer, immediately contact your local college. Spaces fill quickly so ensure you don't delay, your employer won't always be the one to make the contact you may well be expected to make the first approach.
College and what to expect
Colleges use 2 routes, either in house training and assessing or the use of a managing agents. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and both should be considered. Some trainers provide a day release program and generally cover the technical certificate, others use a block release program. The certificate can be completed within 2 years. The NVQ should also take approximately 2 years to complete.
While you are at college you will study the following which are known as the technical certificates:
- City and Guilds 6189 Level 2
- City and Guilds 6189 Level 3
and
and
- Employment Rights and Responsibilities
As well as the following Key Skills**:
- AON (Application of Number) Level 2
- Communications Level 2
*The NVQ is completed in the workplace and units are submitted to the assessor to be assessed. Site visits will also take place during your training. There may be some simulation involved and direct observation within a training environment.
**Key Skills can be exempted providing you have satisfactory grades in English and Maths.