Cutbacks are happening across the public sector with implications for the private sector as well. For some, this might mean looking for fresh opportunities whilst for others, the need to diversify their skillsets and service provision. Construction industry projects continue to revive after the period of recent recession as new development schemes are announced almost daily.

This means that for both men and women who are now seriously thinking of retraining in a traditional secure skills trade, there is renewed opportunity for trained and qualified plumbers, electricians, gas fitters, tilers, etc. Despite the current economy drive, many trade companies still have a difficulty in recruiting properly trained and qualified plumbers with understanding, knowledge and experience to correctly install the different types of systems.

The constant problem for many interested to retrain is that they need to still work during normal hours to earn an income and may find it difficult to find time to study.

However, there is now one excellent way which provides the ability to both study and stay in work! The AbleSkills Home Study Theory Course for City & Guilds NVQ Plumbing 6129 Level 2. Specifically designed and compiled by AbleSkills Teaching Staff, this is a complete all-in-one Course Manual containing all the required theory and principles of plumbing for those who are either working full time or cannot commit to a full time plumbing training course.

By providing a real way for students to have total freedom to study and learn in their own time – and at their own pace, allows no interruption to the working week and only requires setting your own time periods for study.

The Home Study course covers all you will need to know to pass the City and Guilds NVQ Level 2 Technical Certificate and quickly get you into the practical training workshops, where once again you have training flexibility.

Every manual comes complete with individual Self Assessment questions at the end of each of the included knowledge units, allowing you endless opportunities to test your knowledge. Once you feel confident that you have memorised and understood the theory sections, you can be assessed for eligibility to commence the practical skills required at AbleSkills own dedicated Plumbing classroom workshops.

To get a really good idea of it’s like to be actually training on the plumbing course, take a look at the AbleSkills Plumbing video!

AbleSkills students are nurtured throughout their course development to go on to NVQ Level 3 and further skills training courses. Great opportunities are available to take a green energy course, e.g. heat pumps, which are very much seen as the fastest growing industry sector, and to ultimately qualify as a fully knowledgeable and highly competent plumber, ready to confidently undertake the necessary tasks required in today’s construction industry.

According to a recent report of over 2000 Building Services and Engineering companies across the UK, there are not enough trained and qualified installers, such as electricians and plumbers, to adequately cope with the possible demands for the new renewable technology expected over the next two years.

Despite the recent recession and the challenge of the economic cutbacks, investment in green energy training has been steadily increasing.  However, as the demand for eco-friendly energy sources has risen, a considerable gap has also opened up between supply and demand. The concern amongst trained and qualified industry professionals is seeing signs of an increase in ‘rogue traders’ taking advantage of the skills shortfall and causing untold damage across the sector.

In a relatively short period of time, across the UK, solar water, combined heat and power (CHP), ground source heat pumps (GSHP), air source heat pumps (ASHP), followed up by Solar PV panels, have been attracting considerable interest and increasing take-up with a certain interest increase amongst formally trained operatives.

It was found that many building service companies had indicated they are interested in or wish to be fully involved in environmental technologies, but currently do not possess the expected core competencies to undertake the work. Despite demand for the technologies growing, some recession-hit building service sector companies have become less inclined to move forward on renewables training.

Trade skill training in plumbing and electrical courses are increasingly reflecting the urgent necessities of rolling out environmental technologies to comply with government deadlines for emission reduction. However, training requires professional qualifications to be obtained within an approved classroom/workshop environment by accredited industry trainers.

The starting point for all electrical course students is the recognised City & Guilds NVQ 2330 level 2 course, which also can be taken in a complete course with the NVQ 2356 level 3. Plumbing students can begin their training with NVQ 6129 level 2, which provides a complete  foundation knowledge and practical skill learning in order to progress their career aspirations to the next level.

The current reports of an urgency for trained personnel co-oinciding with the growing demand for green energy systems and appliances should be seen as a reassuring boost to all those presently looking to advance their employment prospects along a new career path or experienced trade skills men and women who wish to expand their service provision.

Not a week passes now when we don’t hear great news about another Solar PV project adding to the rapid rise of the ‘must- have’ green energy technology around the UK. Recent studies show that the UK is now the world’s fastest growing market for Solar PV with over 40,000 panels now adorning residential and commercial roofs around the country.

We are all becoming aware that the days of cheap energy are over and the need to reduce our dependence on expensive fossil fuels. The demand for solar PV is snowballing as more householders discover the lucrative benefits of FeedIn Tariffs, which enables home owners to sell back electricity to the grid. Inevitably, the demand for the new technology means that more suitably trained and qualified electricians will be needed who are specifically competent to install Solar PV panels.

Another recent example of the growing interest in solar PV is a social housing, eco-retrofit project in Stoke, designed to make the properties more energy efficient by reducing carbon emissions and also reduce the cost of yearly utility bills. The Council funded project will install over 50 south facing properties with solar panels.

Mounting solar PV panels on a rooftop that is south facing, and therefore, exposed to maximum sunlight during the day, gives the properties the highest chance of generating a good level of electricity from the sun’s energy, even if skies are cloudy.

Learning to be an electrician today now involves understanding how to make a green energy assessment to correctly specify and install the necessary type of renewable technology appliances and system. Energy efficiency is now the number one issue and skills training in solar PV or heat pumps, for a plumber, has to be a key learning part of a student’s training.

There are now an extensive variety of electrical courses for those who wish to make a new career as an electrician. A beginners training, without any prior knowledge or experience, can be undertaken on a City & Guilds NVQ Level 2 course – Electrical 2330, which provides all the required background knowledge and is an introduction to the required practical skills before qualifying to progress onto NVQ Level 3 Electrical 2356. AbleSkills offer dedicated renewable energy training workshops in conjunction with energy assessment courses, which exist alongside brand new, purpose built electrical classroom/ workshop units.

The likelihood of seeing some real effects of post election cutbacks across the public sector impacting on the private sector, means many men and women will be looking to their future prospects and perhaps thinking of career switching to a more promising and stable path.

There is a big revolution occurring in the construction trades industry. The drive is on towards cutting back the UK’s carbon footprint, and reducing emissions to the government’s 2020 target. Not a day goes by without news of schemes, initiatives and latest launches of renewables technology now sweeping through the electrical and plumbing/heating world.

Becoming an electrician today now has to involve learning about the installation of green energy technologies such as Solar PV. In addition to the received wisdom that the construction industry has been a solid provider of long term career prospects and survived recession more successfully than many other residential/commercial areas, considering an electrical course to train as a fully qualified and competent electrician, is an excellent choice.

Even at entry level, without any previous experience, you can still enrol onto a fully approved and recognised electricians training course at an established and accredited skills training centre, a recognised method of complete trade learning, often not available by any other method. Too often, most working electricians tend to be sole traders who will not be able to offer the level of training and facilities required and those larger firms that do offer the required skilled electrician training tend to not want to train staff who may leave and set-up in competition with their former training company.

A training centre is also the perfect environment for mature students with the problem of applying to local colleges which run two-year part time courses aimed at the younger student. Most mature students and even many younger students are of course keen to become qualified as quickly as possible and get going in the industry within months rather than years! Up until fairly recently, if you were over 25 years old you would have had no chance to become an electrician as no college or employer would look at you. Your only option then would have been to pay a considerable sum to buy a franchise.

The right skills training provider should be able to guide your career aspirations in the right direction to help you achieve your training goals. There are many types of courses which allow you to train over periods of time that best suit your working circumstances and availability.

The approved industry entry level for those with little or no previous electrical experience is the City & Guilds Electrical NVQ 2330 Level 2, which introduces you to all the basic principles including Health & Safety. To help with individual circumstances, you can even take this as a consecutive electrical weekend course. Your training should then progress to Electrical 2356 NVQ Level 3, or if you wish, you can combine both Level 2 and 3 in one complete course.

Energy conservation and efficiency is once more hitting the plumbing industry headlines with news of the latest initiative from the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), who have joined forces with energy company, E.ON, to launch the ‘Save Water Save Money’ campaign.

CIPHE registered plumbers and professional heating installers will be able to play a significant role in helping to protect the environment, save homeowner’s money and also obtain their annual membership of the CIPHE paid by E.ON. It also represents a powerful reinforcement of the need to complete approved and recognised training to qualify as a plumber in order to register for the present scheme and future industry initiatives.

The scheme involves the simple fitting of a free E.ON ShowerSave flow regulating device, which reduces water wastage by creating a constant flow of 7.6 litres of water every minute, irrespective of changes in water pressure and, consequently, can help customers save 10,000 litres of water a year and reduce household energy bills.

Each E.ON ShowerSave device, which carries a 15-year warranty, will enable plumbing and heating professionals to test if the current shower flow rate is of a level that would suggest that the homeowner would benefit from fitting an E.ON ShowerSave.

As a positive incentive, registered plumbing professionals will have their 2011 membership of the CIPHE – an important trade body credential – paid for by E.ON if they complete the installation of 200 devices by the end of March 2011. Membership discount will be given for those who complete less than 200 but a complete year’s paid membership plus a discount applied for the following year will be given to all those who fit more than 200 units.

Qualified plumbing and heating installers are now expected to take a significant role in helping to drive forward energy efficiency by providing energy assessments on existing installations and advising on the new green energy technologies.

The entry route for both men and women interested in training to become a plumber is open to all levels of background experience on the industry standard City & Guilds Plumbing NVQ 6129 level 2. This course introduces all the necessary foundation knowledge and practical skills which enables a student to progress through the required levels to be fully competent and industry ready.