With positive signs of a tentative upturn in the economy and the recent Government financial boosts to the Construction industry and additional training initiatives, for all those thinking about training to enter the trade skills industry, it is worth noting that there are always a number of extensive improvement projects on the go around the country, so the work is there, if you make the effort to seek it out.

A good example is the ‘Decent Homes Initiative’, part of the £1.6 Billion Social Housing Refurbishment Market, a sector representing one of the growth markets in 2009. Reflecting a substantial level of annual investment in repair, maintenance and improvement projects within the UK social housing market, in 2009, there are around 70 individual ALMOs active in the UK, which shows a relatively consolidated market in both value and volume terms.

The ALMOs market is derived from the recognition by the Government in 1997 that around 2.1 million social housing units were considered below ‘decent standard’. In total, local authorities had a repair and improvement backlog of some £19 billion. By 2010, the Government has pledged that 95% of all social housing will meet the ‘decent homes standard’, which is defined as being warm, weatherproof and have reasonably modern facilities.

This means the demand for qualified plumbers, electricians , and other key skilled trades personnel, like bricklayers and plasterers will increase. The shortage of properly trained and qualified construction tradesmen is always a problem and Government initiatives are trying to remedy the the situation. Approved and accredited training centres like Able Skills are the ideal solution for those wishing to train, as the combination of their industry experienced inhouse staff and dedicated individual trade training facilities are matched by their long standing fully approved, accredited status as a City & Guilds NVQ qualification training centre.

Since 1997, around 1 million homes have been raised to minimum standard for occupation, though there remains a substantial level of investment and RMI (repair, maintenance and improvement) activity to be undertaken in order to achieve the stated 95% target. The need for additional qualified construction trades people is critical and the target will only be met if retraining for entry into the industry is increased.

While the recession lasts and value is being placed on being able to provide value-for-money products and services, taking on a period of training to extend your skillset and update your knowledge base is a sensible move to make. We all know that the constant production of new technologies and knowing how to apply them means we have to keep up if we are to compete successfully and this is never more urgent at this point in time when looking ahead to taking advantage of the upturn when it starts to take real effect.

To this end, its also also worth considering the value of over- training, that is: taking on additional, complementary skills beyond those strictly necessary in order to give oneself the broadest platform from which to approach new customers or potential employers. In the world of construction skills training, there is a wide choice of available courses to help you advance your capability to provide a comprehensive trade service to include plumbing, electrical, and gas will mean the ability to take on more lucrative work.

At Ableskills, any thing is possible, from weekend tasters to 3 -5 day intensive training. You will need to check that your intended type of course will provide the degree of knowledge you need. There can be big differences between a 10 day course which gives you comprehensive learning of a range of subjects within a particular trade skill and an intensive highly focused course concentrating on one or two subjects. This is particularly important in areas of energy efficiency.

There are also different levels of courses, from teaching basic skills across a range of popular DIY projects to embraking on a series of City & Guild NVQ modules designed to take you right through level 2 and onto level 3 and beyond.

Founded in 1906, the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) is the professional body for the UK plumbing and heating industry.
The CIPHE has a membership of around 12,000, made up of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds such as consultants, specifiers, designers, public health engineers, lecturers, training centres, trainees and practitioners.

The CIPHE will soon be launching its GreenPlumb initiative to help consumers find plumbing and heating engineers who are qualified and have experience in installing renewable technologies. The institute believes that consumer confidence in these new technologies will increase as a result of successful specification and installation.

CIPHE has introduced a new free scheme which will make it easier for consumers to pick a professional when considering integrating renewable / sustainable technologies and solutions within their homes.
Under the GreenPlumb scheme, members of CIPHE that have embraced these technologies and committed to training and Continuing Professional Development, will be equipped with the tools to deliver a green service, with the ability to advise members of the public with regards to the integration of green solutions, and their ongoing maintenance.

GreenPlumb is not just a membership scheme and a brand, but also an ongoing ‘green’ campaign committed to meeting the Government’s Carbon reduction commitments, but primarily to protect consumers against non-professional installers with inadequate knowledge and understanding of sustainable / green technologies. GreenPlumb is open to those members of the CIPHE who are practising in the plumbing and heating industry at the level of Member or Fellow.

The CIPHE believes that the key is to help consumers become more aware of the ways they can directly reduce water consumption through choosing and correctly installing water efficient appliances, carrying out regular maintenance and embracing renewable technologies.

Installing more meters alone will not tackle the root problem. Paying for the water we waste isn’t the issue and penalises those on a low income.
Badly fitted appliances and leaky pipes are easily fixed by regular maintenance, and professional installation of water conserving devices will lead to the public using less water instead of just having to pay for using more.

The initial requirements to be a GreenPlumb member are to be a Corporate member at MCIPHE or FCIPHE level who has undertaken the following:

Energy Efficiency Certificate
Water Regulations Certificate

Plus at least one of the following accredited (where applicable) courses:

Solar Thermal
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Air Source Heat Pumps
Grey Water Harvesting / Recycling
Rain Water Harvesting / Recycling
Biomass
Water Efficiency

We have all seen them on the supermarket shelves, heard about them on TV and magazines, and have been urged to use them, even though they seem to be more expensive to buy than traditional tungsten filament lightbulbs, which are fast disappearing. But what do we know about them and why they are supposed to help everyone spend less on electricity and are a benefit to the planet?

The changes are in line with Energy saving requirements and regulations that all student electricians will be taught on approved training courses in order that they can correctly assess, advise and install the correct types of energy saving lighting and heating equipment into domestic and commercial properties.

Currently, standard domestic light bulbs available are, as follows :

- Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs): The most common energy saving light bulbs and come in stick shape,    candle shape, small or medium screw and bayonet fittings.
- Energy saving halogen light bulbs: A good option if you have halogen lights in your home. They consume around 30% less electricity than standard halogen bulbs.
- LED lights: These have progressed rapidly in recent years and can now be used to replace existing halogen spotlights.

Energy saving light bulbs are compact, bright and available in a wide range of shapes – so the only difference you’ll notice is a drop in your electricity bills.
Fitting just one energy saving light bulb can save you on average £3 a year – and by swapping all the light bulbs in your home for energy saving ones you could save around £45 per year. Right now, the vast majority of the 600 million light bulbs in UK homes are inefficient tungsten filament bulbs. By phasing out these inefficient bulbs, we could make a real difference to our national energy consumption.

Energy saving light bulbs fit in ordinary light fittings – and if you have a dimmer switch you can buy special dimming energy saving light bulbs. There are even candle shaped energy saving light bulbs to fit into chandelier light fittings.

At the moment, energy saving light bulbs are a little more expensive than tungsten filament light bulbs, typically costing around £2 – but you’ll easily recoup the difference on your electricity bill in about a year. Energy saving light bulbs will become even cheaper as more are produced, because manufacturers will be able to make them more efficiently.

Bulbs greater than 100W have already started to be phased out. Next to be phased out will be the standard shaped bulbs (usually called A-shaped) that are used in most homes.

Here are the dates when participating retailers will stop selling the various wattage of tungsten filament lightbulbs

Jan 2009 – 75-100W A-shaped
Jan 2010 – 60W A-shaped
Jan 2011 – 40W A-shaped
Jan 2011 – 60W Golfball-shaped and candle-shaped

The same process it to be implemented in the EU from September 2009 right through to 2016. The European commission has recently adopted new regulations which will mean that inefficient lightbulbs will be phased out across the European Union. The UK is already one year ahead, thanks to the voluntary phase out initiative.

As if being an US soldier fighting in Iraq was not being in a dangerous position enough, the New York Times recently reported that sub standard electrical work carried out by private contractors had killed over a dozen troops by electrocution. During a six month period, over 280 fires at military installations had caused many fatalities or serious injuries as a result of electrical fires.

Documented reports between the Pentagon and the electrical contractor reveal officials were aware of a problem but did little to address it before the family of a Green Beret electrocuted in a shower, were determined to find out the cause. It appears that the contractor was so overwhelmed by the huge scale of the work, that they turned over electrical jobs on buildings used by the US military to subcontractors who, in turn, hired unskilled workers for a few dollars a day.

The report is yet another sober reminder of the deadly perils involved when carrying out any electrical work without qualified training and knowledge. This even applies to the smallest repair around the home. The rule is, always call a qualified electrician or, get some training yourself!. There are always courses available to teach and certificate you to carry the the most basic of electrical repairs, whether over a weekend or over few weeks. You can even go on to do an intensive period of training at NVQ level! It’s money well spent and could save your life. You may even decide that you may want to study further and and make your living from becoming an electrician!

It is not the time to start looking for the stop cock when water is leaking through the ceiling! Far better to have this knowledge before hand, so you can deal quickly with sudden emergencies, so if you are moving into a new home or don’t know where the stop cock is in your property, then you should find out as soon as possible!

Knowing where and how to turn off mains water is essential. All domestic water is supplied by a service pipe, called a ‘rising main’. The ‘rising main’ is connected to the local water authority’s ‘main’, which runs under the public highway. There will be a stop cock exactly at the point where the’rising main’ comes off the water authority’s ‘main’. The stop stock provides a means of isolating the water supply to your property, should an emergency or any repairs be required. The homeowners responsibility begins where the’ rising main’ leaves the public highway and enters their land.

The ‘rising main’ in modern properties is made from plastic, although in some older properties it could be made of lead or copper. There is also another stop cock where the ‘rising main’ enters your building, and this could be in a number of places.

Common locations are:

- Under the kitchen sink.
- In the hallway behind a section of removable skirting board.
- In a service cupboard at the front of the property.

Most homeowners rarely have to carry out major plumbing jobs and in most cases it is usually safer and better to employ a qualified plumber, but being able to tackle small installations or repairs can save a lot of time and money. At AbleSkills, a variety of plumbing courses are available, from weekend training, to learning certificated basic knowledge over a few days to fulltime City & Guilds NVQ level 2 6129 technical training and onto advanced courses.

If you choose to modify existing or install new plumbing then you must adhere to local water authority regulations. These regulations are designed to safeguard public health and reduce risk of contamination or wastage. Once again, AbleSkills can provide all the necessary information you need to know if you are planning to do up your bathrom or kitchen. You must also adhere to any relevant electrical regulations. Electrical courses from entry level to full time NVQ training are also available with many options to cater for all requirements.

Technology, cheap foreign labour and the economic collapse are transforming the employment market. And as the months roll by, more and people are asking themselves the question: what is it I actually do?
It appears that white collar skills are just not valued any more. Services which once required sitting in offices in central London can now be done at one-tenth the cost on the other side of the world.

It is not something a plumber or carpenter or electrician ever has to ask! These are jobs with a clearly defined purpose and the entire process is controlled from start to finish. It seems that nowadays there are more people offering to build a financial model or provide strategic brand advice than mend a burst pipe!

A recently conducted survey among employers around the world found that the toughest jobs to fill these days were skilled manual trades such as electricians, bricklayers, carpenters and plumbers.

As governments around the world invest in green technology, people with established blue-collar skills and mechanical and electrical aptitude will benefit more from this new industry than those with white-collar skills.

The signs of a rapidly changing work environment, driven by instant global communications technologies is reflected right across the new world of work, from training through to recruitment and gainful employment. The increasing importance of hands-on, practical-based skills learning is gaining momentum and the part being played by approved and accredited construction trade skills training centres such as AbleSkills is coming to prominence. As whispers of ‘green shoots’ and the ‘bottoming out’ of the recession become louder, the building industries will be in the very forefront of economic regeneration as the upturn gears up.

Only those who had the foresight to change career path, or took advantage of redundancy by undertaking to commit to retraining, will be ableskilled to fulfill their ambitious prospects and enjoy the full return to lucrative employment in the changed work arena.

Probably one of the most regular tasks for a builder is fitting a complete set of kitchen units. For the homeowner, the processs of finding and choosing the units so they match your kitchen and fulfill all your practical requirements can be a daunting task! It pays to do your research well so you know what’s involved, what to expect and avoid disappointment! This is especially more so, if you have decided to have a go installing the units yourself.

Most kitchen cabinets are easy to install and are well within the capability of the average DIY person – it does get a bit more complicated if plumbing is involved, and should a gas connection be required. The good news is, at AbleSkills, we have approved training courses to cover every aspect of kitchen fitting and basic knowledge training to cover any necessary plumbing or electrical work that may be required.

Before you start, there are some basic points to consider:

There are a large number of suppliers of kitchen units for DIY installation and each one offers a range of styles, colours, method of construction and cost. The most basic choice is probably the construction method of the basic carcass – either pre-built or self assembly (i.e. flat pack).

• Pre-built carcasses are usually more expensive (comparing units of similar materials), they require less work to install, are usually more rigid and give an assured quality of assembly.
• Self assembly carcasses are usually cheaper (again, comparing like with like), require more effort to assemble, and the quality of assembly depends upon the method used and the care taken.

The material used to make the basic carcass is usually chipboard with laminated surfaces; the prices usually reflects the quality of the chipboard and laminate – this is reflected in the thickness, density (= strength) and general quality (how well the chipboard will cope with moisture, and the laminate stand up to wear). The price of units will also often reflect the method of assembly – more expensive unit will probably use better quality fixing methods and should last longer. Pre-built carcasses are assembled in a controlled industrial environment and tend to give very strong joints. Self assembly carcasses are usually screwed together, either just into the chipboard or using a two part screw coupling.

When choosing the quality of kitchen units, you may want to consider why you are installing the kitchen:

For your own home, you may wish to purchase high quality carcasses, this will last a long time and you can change just the doors and end panels when you update the kitchen in future.
For a property renovation to sell, keep the kitchen in sympathy with the rest of the property – don’t fit a cheap kitchen in high value property, nor an expensive kitchen in a low value property. And keep the design simple but functional.
For a property to let, the same things as for a property renovation need to considered, but bear in mind the intended market (i.e. students or executives etc); accept that the kitchen may need updating between tenants more often than your own home.

The choice of style and colour of units are personal matters but:

Consider the amount of natural light received by the room, it it doesn’t get much light, avoid dark colours.
Remember that the surfaces are likely to need occasional cleaning, so you may want to avoid pure light/plain colours, textured finishes etc which may discolour unevenly or be very hard to clean – a smooth surface can usually be cleaned by wiping a cloth over it.
Don’t be too outlandish with style, colour or design – you’ll probably have to live with your choice for some years, and should you sell the property, an outlandish kitchen could put off a potential buyer.

When planning the detailed design:

There are a number of different units widths available, but you don’t have to use every one of them. Try to use one width of unit along any run with just an ‘odd’ size at one end or in the middle to fill the space.
Try to keep the same style of units along a run – try not to mix High and Drawer Line styles.
Try to keep the units on the wall the same width as the base units underneath with the drawers/doors vertical in line.
Where wall units and the base units underneath are both cupboards, have the door hinges hung on the same side.
From a safety point of view, do not mount wall units above or immediately to the side of hobs or cookers

As well as dedicated kitchen fitting, AbleSkills run carpentry weekend courses to get you started on the basics, from which you can go on to take full-time 10 day course NVQ Level training.

Unless you are qualified under Part P !

It is simply quite amazing to hear the number of cases regularly reported of attempts to carry out electrical installations or fix non-functioning systems by unqualified householders or landlords, who were trying to save money by ‘doing it themselves!’ and which resulted in serious injury or a tragic fatality. As has been pointed out many times, it is both illegal and dangerous and should only be carried out by those who are fully trained and Part P qualified.

The modern consumer unit is the centre, or heart, of the wiring system in the home. The unit distributes the electricity, via fuses of one kind or another, to the different circuits in the house. The older fuse wire are being replaced gradually by their modern equivalent, the MCB or miniature circuit breaker.

This is in line with the competency expected from electrical or gas installers and goes far beyond just knowing which colour wires do what.

Competency, in this case, will mean a full, qualified knowledge of electrical installations. It will mean you have the ability to thoroughly check a circuit for safety and you will be able to issue a minor works certificate as a self certified “competent person”. All cables and connections to the consumer unit must be checked and tested by a qualified electrician. Do not attempt removal or replacement unless you are you are qualified to Part P regulation standards. It is also an offence to interfere with the seals on the electricity meter.

Electricity kills and injures many people every year. A great many of these people are dead or injured because they tried installations which they did not understand. The Government is also intending, it is believed, to introduce a scheme whereby domestic installations are checked at regular periods to make sure they comply, and also when a house is sold or purchased. This would mean of course that if you had an installation which was not correctly certified, your house insurance may not be valid.

From January 2005, all domestic electrical installation work in dwellings (houses and flats), whether professional or DIY, has become subject to the new Building Regulation – ‘Part P’, which is enforced by the Local Authorities. Failure to comply is a criminal offence.
The legal requirement is simply stated: ‘Fixed electrical installations in dwellings shall be suitably designed, installed, inspected and tested so as to provide reasonable protection against their being the source of a fire or a cause of injury to persons.’

The only domestic work for which either self-certification or notification is not be required is be for some minor work (generally work not involving the provision of a new circuit). The replacement of a consumer unit does not qualify as minor work.
In kitchens and areas of increased risk, such as a bathroom or shower room, a garden or a swimming pool or sauna, all work, minor or not, needs either to be self-certified or notified.

AbleSkills provides fully accredited City & Guilds NVQ training with Part P and to NVQ level 3. You can find out all about what is involved by doing a short weekend course, or undertake certificated courses lasting from 3 weeks to 8 weeks.

Although there is an estimated shortage of trained and qualified plumbers of about 32,100 and a total estimated shortage of trained and qualified electricians of roughly 36,900 across all regions of the UK, for every placement there will be stiff competition chasing every job. You will only stand a chance of gaining employment if you have trained and obtained a recognised certificated trade ( NVQ) qualification at an approved and accredited training centre, like AbleSkills.

Employers will always ask what work experience you have – so building up work experience is crucial to boosting your career prospects.

There are quite a number of instant ways to finding a job, for example, by placing an advert in a local paper or newsagent window, writing letters and phoning suitable companies. You should answer all adverts for your particular trained trade skill and obtain an interview with the company, but remember how you present yourself on the phone and in person is very important. You have to be able to sell yourself but at the same time be honest and don’t exaggerate the extent of your experience!

You should be aware that a City & Guilds NVQ qualification level 2 in Plumbing, Electrical or Gas, although a recognised certification, it is just the first rung of the ladder and sets the groundwork for you to build upon. When you have qualified up to level 3 NVQ, you are on the second rung of the ladder. You must keep up to date with the various changes in technology involved – especially in the electrical and gas industry – as it changes all the time!

There are big changes currently underway in the government initiatives on energy efficiency and reducing domestic – as well as commercial C02 emissions. At AbleSkills, there is opportunity to increase your knowledge base and employment chances by undertaking energy assessment courses.

The key is to remember that you do not stop learning when you have finished your qualification. You need to continue with adding to your sum total knowledge and your ability to offer a range of qualified technical services, both as a company employee and if you decide to be self-employed. AbleSkills also offer advanced courses for experienced electricians and plumbers to update their knowledge and thus, be able to compete successfully with offering install, repairs and maintenance with the latest technology innovations and green energy requirements in their chosen industries.