Archive for March, 2009
Getting plastered..! That’s what your walls will need to be if we have another summer scorcher !
Anyone whose house is close to a large tree - like an oak – or situated on a steep incline, will know the damage that is likely caused during a long hot summer. The tree’s roots draw up all available moisture leading to the soil drying out, contraction and slippage. The first you’ll know about it is when the tell tale cracks appear on the walls of your home, especially in one or more corners. This could mean an expensive ‘Underpinning’ bill is about to come your way!
In the above situation, one or more walls may need to be knitted together with infill brickwork or perhaps rebuilt and resurfaced. More commonly though, jobs requiring plastering work to be done mostly involve built extensions or as a result of ‘knocking through’ from one room to another or dividing a living space into two by studwall and plasterboard. Sometimes a wall may need a ’skim’, i.e. a thin layer of plaster after the removal of old wallpaper reveals a deteriorated, unstable surface that is either uneven, crumbling, flaking or worse !
Or perhaps removing old ‘textured’ wall / ceiling rendering and replacing with a smooth plaster surface prior to painting.
The above jobs are typical for a professional plasterer working in domestic dwellings and are always in demand as homeowners seek to increase the value of their property by making alterations and increasing habitable space. Training to be a high quality plasterer , who can produce absolutely flat, glass smooth surfaces is a challenging discipline requiring to being shown how to master the art of the trowel, correct application, good controlled arm movement and a watchful eye!
If you show flair for the craft, and can ‘lay up’ at the required standard of workmanship and at a good pace, then opportunities abound on commercial and industrial build or renovation projects.
For all those just interested to learn a few techniques, so simple small scale DIY jobs around the house may be successfully attempted – e.g. plastering over part of a wall surface where a long fixed cupboard unit had been removed - a short course is well worth the time and is money well spent! Attempting to apply a plaster surface without any prior knowledge could cause all sorts of unforseen problems – such as not using the right jointing tape or not covering it correctly !
Glossing over the preparation can give you mixed emulsions!
Painting and decorating – we can all do it, right ? Wrong!
Even the simple procedure of ‘cutting in’ exactly where the wall meets the ceiling can betray an amateur hand! Or not understanding about the many different types of paints now available and when and how to use them. There is a hidden art to loading the brush properly and laying up surfaces. And we haven’t even started talking about wall papering and how to avoid lumpy paste!
The key of course is the preparation. The difference between a professional finish and an amateur botch up is the time taken to prepare and the correct choice of materials and paints. No one particularly likes the tedious job of ‘rubbing down’ old paint surfaces prior to painting or ensuring the smoothing over filled-in holes so as to be made invisible, but there are no short cuts here.
But it’s not all about ‘painting and wallpapering’, there are numerous other decorating effects and techniques that can be learnt, from types of popular surface effects, such as ‘marbling’, or adhering coving to the ceiling edge, wood staining and floorboard finishs, to name just a few.
Taking a training course to learn about the different painting applications, inside and out, is recommended - if only to know about why not to use smooth hammerite on hardboard and how to operate that paint roller at full extension without stepping into the paint tray!
Hot opportunities in the Gas industry !
Believe it or not, there really are some recession proof industries out there!
Gas installation and maintenance is one of them, by the look of some of the roles required to be filled at British Gas, to name just one large UK utilities employer.
Currently, at British Gas, positions exist for qualified and skilled individuals of all ages in domestic gas, plumbing and electrical roles. These include :
- Technical engineers to carry out the annual servicing of British Gas customers’ central heating systems and appliances, as well as system maintenance and upgrades,
- Servicing fitters to service and maintain customers’ central heating systems and other domestic appliances.
- Lead plumbing engineers to carry out the installation, maintenance and repair of all plumbing related equipment and associated pipe work.
- White goods electrical field engineers to undertake a range of duties, including repairs to white goods/kitchen appliances, domestic electrical installation
maintenance and annual inspections on customers’ electrical appliances and installations.
The construction industry plays a huge part in the economy and life of every part of the UK. It is estimated to be worth around £110 billion - that is 10 per cent of all Gross Domestic Product - comprising over 25,000 businesses employing 1.4 million individuals.
Whilst many manufacturers, high street retailers and other commercial sectors like the car industry seem to be desperately struggling to cope with the current downturn, the construction trade skills industry seems to soldier on regardless, apparently endowed with credit-crunch resistant ‘superpowers’ to fight on through the recession.
It surely makes sense that there may never be a better time to get into the industry by retraining as a fully qualified domestic Gas installer. By signing up for on one of the many AbleSkills training courses available with different options on lengths of training time, you could be beginning a new and secure future career within just a matter of months!
Plumbing theory - just a couple of hours study every week at home is all you need !
It’s not so difficult as you think! The Plumbing 6129 Level 2 Theory is just one training manual only and this is divided into less than a dozen easy sections for instant reference . After each section there are handy self assessment questions to test if you can remember the key points. Once you’ve got the theory under your belt – then it’s straight down to the practical!
For those of you who already have had an acquaintance with the odd plumbing task – such as trying to fix a leaking tap - or perhaps have come from a related industry, then retraining is going be fairly straightforward. Even if you have not had any real hands-on experience with plumbing, the theory basics range from the ‘common-sense’ to background knowledge and more involved technical information.
For example, the Health & Safety section will tell you about what possible dangers you should look out for on site, descriptions of safety signs, protective equipment and clothing and what to do when an accident occurs. All very straightforward and should present no problem in remembering when answering the self assessment questions.
The key is maintaining at least one or two hours study per week, regular as clockwork, somewhere quiet in your own home. Its not as if you have to wade through a handful of different books – all the information you will need to pass the 6129 Level 2 Theory is neatly contained in just the one integrated manual, so you just need to take the manual plus some sheets of paper and a pen and lock yourself into the spare bedroom or the garden shed for an hour or so at least once a week.
One of the comments most commonly heard when students begin their Plumbing 6129 Level 2 practical training at AbleSkills is, “ I hated doing school homework and I thought this was going to be the same but I was just blown away at how easy it was …. it could not be more different from those old school work books”. Everyone who has worked through the theory part has remarked how easy it was and not what they thought it was going to be at all.
As one of the newest recruits to the practical workshops said, “ Everything is laid out clearly in simple sections with illustrations, diagrams and photographs to back up the descriptions, which are written in plain and easy to understand English. It didn’t take me long to get to grips with it and it gave me a real incentive to finding the time to getting down to it - and I did remember what I had learnt “.
Electricians and Plumbers come out ‘top’ in work satisfaction survey!
According to a recent recruitment study of more than 3,000 adults, both electricians and plumbers were the most likely to find their jobs stimulating, while human resources staff are likely to be the unhappiest workers ! Only one in 10 said they enjoyed a high level of stimulation in their job, with women stressing a sense of achievement ahead of money. With the UK facing many challenges, brought about by drastic changes in company employment policies during the current economic situation, it is perhaps unsurprising to hear that a large proportion of the workforce are considering a career change.
Retraining to become a fully qualified electrician or plumber is a very practical solution – after all, there is very little in the modern world that is not dependent on these two utilities. The need will always be there and the demand is growing all the time. Opportunities abound in domestic, commercial and industrial sectors.
If you are seriously considering retraining as a fully qualified plumber or electrician, then you will need to know if you have the right kind of basic qualities in order for you to be able to progress in your chosen new career. You get a head start if you have some previous hands-on experience, either as a DIY enthusiast or having tackled some more major plumbing or electrical tasks. Apart from an obvious enjoyment of working out how to fix things, patience and attention to detail, you will also need to be physically fit, be able to multi-task and have a personable and friendly approach. Good eyesight is essential and you must not be colour blind!
A good training course teaches you how to ‘teach yourself!’ In other words, as you discover the key principles, you will develop the way you have to think ahead in order to solve problems before you encounter them as well as fixing faults as they occur. Experience comes with practice and the desire to learn more.
Standing back after a job is completed and knowing you were responsible for applying all the care, attention and skill to produce a fully functioning system operating at its optimal level - as it was designed to do - is probably one of the greatest sources of ‘job satisfaction’ possible.
It’s no wonder that plumbers and electricians are shown to be the happiest at their work – plus of course, the handsome financial rewards have also something to do with it!
Climb the heights as a plumber!
It’s not always realised just how versatile a plumber’s skills can be. It’s not all about changing tap washers, unblocking drains and replacing thermostats!
Plumbing embraces a large area of work. Some plumbers work as ‘wet only plumbers’, dealing with piped systems for water such as fitting bathrooms, radiators and sprinkler systems etc. Others choose to branch out into the gas industry so they can install gas central heating systems along with other wet plumbing systems. To reflect the diversity of applications, there are individual plumbing training courses which can include Home Study and there is now even a course for installing solar energy!
Plumbers can climb the heights in their work – quite literally! Fixing sheet lead weathering around a chimney stack is a skilled job more commonly associated with builders and roofers, but did you know that plumbers are also trained to do the very same job? From flat roofs, chimney stack flashing and roof valley gutters to porch canopies and external dormers, working out the precise dimensions and correct angles to ensure a neat, secure and a totally lead-lined weatherproof structure is another skilled service that a fully trained plumber can provide.
Working the lead and forming the shapes is a distinct craft in itself, and requires handling special shaping tools - and patience !
And of course, sealing lead sheeting means correct welding knowledge and use. So plumbing also means learning how to carefully operate and use welding equipment. Before welding was developed, metals were joined together by riveting or by a blacksmith heating the metal to a very high temperature when hammering or pressing together. Today, oxy-acetylene brazing, bronze and fusion( lead) welding is used daily by plumbers, mostly for roof lead work and connecting copper pipes.
The everyday work of a plumber is in reality, a variety of interesting and absorbing activities, all of which are introduced to training candidates on whatever particular course they are on, from the weekend primer to advanced full time training.
AbleSkills new electric training set!
If you have been looking around our website recently, you might have read the news of the new purpose-built facility for training electricians at the AbleSkills centre.
It may very well be the most advanced trade skill teaching space anywhere in the UK!
Spread out over nearly 15,000 sq ft and housing separate, partitioned, one-to-one tuition areas, bristling with brand new electrical equipment, the additional customised space means an immediate reduction in waiting time for one of the most popular of AbleSkills courses. In fact, the candidates will love even more, getting to grips with the array of the lastest design consumer units, domestic system circuit layouts, MCBs and RCDs and electrical PAT test DB3 equipment. For those of you who don’t know what these terms mean, then you need to get yourself on an introductory training course rightaway!
As a result, candidate numbers have increased and to deal with the extra capacity, a number of fully accredited and qualified staff have been brought on board, all of whom bring both a wealth of insider industry experience and exceptional teaching abilities to match the sparkling ( no pun intended) new centre. Heading the team will be Kevin MacDonald, an ex City & Guilds External Verifier who will be the NVQ scheme coordinator/Assessor/IV.
Its might be worth making a note that 10,000 electricians will be needed just to fulfill the requirements of current UK building programmes –including the Olympics – up until at least 2012! If you ask around, you will find that the ‘recession’ word is unknown in the electrical installation, repair and maintenance industries, so it might not be a bad idea to pop down to the AbleSkills centre and take a look at the new electrical training block and see for yourself what it might be like to be on a course.
Tiling doesn’t have to crack you up!
‘Yes it does’ you scream back as you read this! That’s because it’s likely you have not got those little ‘how-to’ tips under your belt.
Tiling your own bathroom or kitchen has become almost the standard, universal ‘must have a go’ challenge. Everyone you know seems to do it. This will ultimately lead to the Sunday trip to your local DIY superstore to load up with adhesives, sealants, grouts, tilecutters and spacers after stacking your trolley with dozens of your carefully chosen tile packs. Yet as soon as you start to attach the new tiles, those unforseen problems start to crop up.
You may be for example, attempting to work out the correct spacing, lining up the patterning or trying to figure out how to work neatly over or around a corner, step, or column. You may have needed to apply a screed or look more closly at your surface preparation before beginning the tiling itself.
Suddenly, you become aware that this tiling lark is not so straightforward as you first thought – and you can’t for the life of you think how your best mate completely retiled the shower or those people at work who claimed to have managed to completely transform their breakfast bar. The likelihood is of course, that they have done it before and have been through all the unexpected obstacles, perhaps been shown what to do by someone else experienced in preventing all the pitfalls – OR – they have taken a short training course!
It really does make sense. And can save you a lot of valuable time, stop you from pulling your hair out and preserving your sanity! As the old saying goes – it’s easy when you know how.
Luckily, there are many great training courses where you can go on to find out how to tile easily and properly. It really is recommended, especially if you are going in for tiling surfaces with expensive natural products like Granite, Marble, Limestone and Slate, which are are increasingly popular. Specialist training is required in order to obtain the perfect finish.
All the above is even more important if you are thinking of taking up tiling professionally and you will require to learn the necessary knowledge and skills to become fully NVQ-qualified.
So if you are ready to turn your bathroom into a masterpiece of Victorian mosiac craftsmanship, which will show your family and friends that you really did have it in you, then before you get too carried away, why not try a 2 x weekend course, which gives you a whole weeks worth of training - then you can plan the big one!
For plumbers, one of the problems has always been those few ‘rogue traders’ that gives genuine Centre Trained workmen a bad name.
Once again, on a recent edition of the TV programme, ‘Rogue Traders’, a plumber was secretly filmed going about his dastardly deeds! A simple fifteen minute unblocking of a drain was spread out to ninety minutes with much unecessary additional work being carried out so extra charges for time could be added on.
No, it’s not ‘nice work if you can get it’ – it just helps to tar the industry brush! And it will make life more difficult for the majority of genuine plumbers who will be constantly harassed by customers looking over your shoulder for signs of deception going on!
What is more disturbing is the likelihood of the reflection on the original quality of plumbing training. Your hard-earned training period, acquisition of all the necessary approved and accredited certification - as demonstrated by your CORGI and CSCS card and Trade Body affiliation - could be undermined and seriously compromised, despite all the good work that is going on in the professional trades industry to follow up on reported malpractice and take required action.
The best approved training centres pride themselves on maintaining the very best standards of workmanship and integrity. The Course instructors instil pride and a sense of worth in the desire to complete an exemplary installation or repair. It is an essential part of all Course assessments and is one of the reasons a training centre is first approved. A ‘bad’ training centre will soon give it’s true intentions away by giving incorrect or incompete information, may cut corners, and thereby, unwittingly encourage a ‘rogue trader’mentality.
A properly trained plumber will always look to give the best of service – after all, the word soon goes round, a reputation and livelihood can depend on it – and he would never think to deliberately deceive the customer or leave the premises without ensuring that the work has been properly carried out and is completely safe.
AbleSkills Course students speak up and tell it like it is! Straight from the training workshop to your PC screen – the truth will out!
Now here’s a first!
Training centre students get a chance to tell you what it’s really like to be on an AbleSkills course. Not just the usual set of testimonials and quotes that all centres publish, but we have taken it upon ourselves to get them to shoot straight from the hip, without prompting or threats of no more XXL catering bags of PG Tips to keep everyone refuelled throughout the day!
Which is exactly where we start in fact!
Despite the fact that all teas and coffees are on tap, supplied free of charge to all students, there was one grumble that the refreshment area needs to be expanded. No doubt because the number of students has grown and it does get quite crowded when everyone decides it’s time for a brew - all at the same time! ( AbleSkills are opening their brand new additional training spaces, dedicated to separate Electrical and Gas training, so the queue for the tea urn will come down a bit!)
But down to the serious stuff! Everyone agreed that what convinced them from the moment they arrived at the AbleSkills website was the obvious fact that everything was there to be seen and read. All the information you needed to know was quite clearly and easily able to be navigated to and be read about.
Nothing is left out – it’s all very straightforward and tries very hard indeed, to truly give you as complete a picture as possible of what Courses are available, what you need to do and what to expect when you come on a Course.
The next big plus is the openness and friendliness of all the staff at the Centre – nothing is too much trouble! You are invited to come down and take a look around, speak to the instructors and ask questions. One student told a short story that indicates how grateful he was for this - he had experienced the odd dodgy so-called, training centre where there simply wasn’t one, just a set of questions designed to get as much personal info out of you as possible. Apparently, there are quite a few of these ‘rogue trainers’ out there – so be warned!
For all those on their individual Course, the general opinion was as one – extremely friendly, open atmosphere – and that was just the other students, let alone the Instructors who were all considered to be extremely good at their job and knowledgeable indeed –“You learn real skills here”, someone piped up from behind a half-assembled sink unit!
Practically all the students who were asked to put it in the ‘proverbial’ nutshell, replied that for them - as it must surely be for the majority of those seeking the right training centre too - it was all about ‘Time, Flexibility, Location and Reasonable Cost’.
Now there’s a training centre claim that has passed the test of it’s own students on all four counts!
