Archive for the ‘Bricklaying’ Category
Career Switch Boosts Electrical and Plumbing Training
As the recession lingers on and more job cuts are announced in areas such as in financial services because they can be done at one-tenth the cost on the other side of the world, the construction trade continues to hold firm. UK housebuilder, Persimmon has just this week announced an improvement in trading, with sales up by 7% so far this year.
The work of a plumber, electrician or gas fitter has a clearly defined purpose which always requires their physical presence to actually carry out the installation, repair or maintenance. Practical skills cannot be electronically farmed out overseas even though the onward march of technology has enabled an ever widening array of services to become possible to accomplish over the internet!
Trade skills personnel are hands-on and in control of the entire process from start to finish!
For many in certain types of employment, instead of controlling an entire process, they are trained to do ever tinier slivers of work, which then become part of a much larger process. To be able to make your small contribution, you are required by employers to become a member of a team and if you lose your place in the process or the team, your existence is meaningless unless part of the whole.
In stark contrast, training to be an electrician, for example, means you learn to be self sufficient, and entirely reliant on your own training, experience and skill to analyse and solve a problem. An electrician or a plumber are always in demand, in person!
Even in the current economic climate, a recently conducted survey by Manpower Recruitment of employers around the world found that there was still a lack of skilled manual trades such as electricians, plumbers bricklayers, carpenters, tilers…etc.
In addition, job satisfaction and personal fulfilment always rank high with the construction trade industries. It is work with a discernible product or result that can be actually measured and see working in the real world!
Testimonials Tell The Good News Training Story!
When it comes to Trade Skills training centres, it really is a case of the good, the bad and the ugly! Student testimonials can help to make your mind up about which one’s wear the white hats!
It can be a bit confusing when it comes to trying to work out which trade skills training centre is really going to provide the correct courses and ultimately, approved qualifications to best serve your career prospects. Unfortunately, we hear too often from students whose choice of past trainers was not all that it should have been, often the focus of attention for trade industry regulatory bodies.
Even worse, some centres fold unexpectedly and the students will have to restart their training elsewhere.
AbleSkills has been established as one of London’s and the South East’s foremost skills training centre of excellence, offering a comprehensive range of City & Guild approved and accredited courses, the most popular of which, are the entry level Plumbing 6129 Technical certificate and Electrical NVQ 2330.
Unlike some institutions or non-accredited trainers, AbleSkills is a specifically dedicated centre with a fully developed course development structure, which can take an entry level student through all required subject knowledge in order to gain the approved and verified standard at each stage of the process to becoming a fully qualified plumber, electrician or another skilled trade, such as a Gas fitter, tiler, bricklayer or plasterer.
AbleSkills also offers advanced courses for experienced electricians and plumbers to update their knowledge in order to compete successfully by offering a range of qualified technical services, both as a company employee and if you decide to be self-employed.
For most students, AbleSkills is their trainer of first choice because their key concerns of flexible course timings and duration, fully equipped and dedicated workshop classrooms and approved, verified and industry experienced course tutors tick all their boxes!
Don’t just take my word for it, read below a brief selection of testimonials from delighted AbleSkills students :
• “ This is my second course that I have undertaken at Able Skills ….Both courses have been excellent value for money. I would recommend Able Skills as a training centre to everyone; the teachers have great knowledge and are so helpful and informative. They deliver the course in such an easy way to understand and at a pace that you can enjoy and take it all in. I’m looking forward to booking my next course here”
• “The tuition, resourced and support that came from all staff within the facility was second to none.
There is constant updating of information across all trades and the administration support is outstanding. There is an onus on individuals to expand their knowledge by private study. I would endorse Able Skills without reservation”.
• “ Able Skills were first rate, looking after all of my needs from Accommodation through to Instruction.
I received excellent tuition from the Instructors who were superb tradesmen and very approachable from day 1.
• After finishing the course I feel more than confident to gain employment within the industry and Able Skills will continue to support me through NVQ if I choose that route. I want to thank Able Skills for an outstanding course and service and wish them all the best. The instructors are great, helpful and patient. They tell you what to do and let you get on with it, but are there for any queries or problems, giving you the benefit of their experience. I would recommend this course and able skills to anyone”.
• “All staff are helpful, and even willing to share their knowledge, during breaks. In my opinion, able skills, merits itself by being very good value for money. A professional centre, that I will definitely be using again, and recommending to my friends”.
• “I can thoroughly recommend all of the courses; the instructors are all very knowledgeable in their trades, extremely helpful and put themselves out to make the week both enjoyable and also a valuable learning experience for every one who attends”.
First Enquiry With A Trade Skills Trainer Gives First Clue!
Finding a quality approved and accredited trade skills trainer can be a bit of minefield as there are now so many organisations offering a confusing number of courses. Which course is best for you and are you going to get the correct training and qualifications to really allow you to make real progress in your career path?
The key is always to do your homework! By spending time carrying out prior research you will be armed with the right knowledge in order to make a sensible decision. Visit their website first and really look carefully at all the pages and ask yourself the really important questions as you look through, e.g. how long have they been in existence, are they really approved for the right type of courses, how many experienced, trained and qualified teachers and verifiers on the staff?
It should go without saying that you should not be dazzled by cut price, bargain basement course selling, which claims to offer instant industry working status. Remember - experience and expertise takes time to build, and is not achieved in a matter of days or weeks.
Most importantly, and dependent on the individual course level, where exactly will you be training – at their premises or elsewhere?
If you are serious about entering a trade profession, then the likelihood is that you should already have found out that to begin a career as an electrician, you are required to undertake a series of courses that will take you through a structure of required knowledge learning and skillsets, beginning with the City & Guilds 2330 level 2.
Likewise, plumbing training requires a body of knowledge and practical training to be fully understood and practiced as you progress through several levels, but once again, you will need to start with City & Guilds Plumbing 6129 level 2.
Be aware that short centre certificate courses are mostly primers, and aimed for DIY or one set skill learning, giving you insight into the requirements to carry out the basic task the course claims to provide. It does not instantly transform you into a fully fledged tradesperson in that field!
An established and recognised training centre will also offer short, advanced courses for the experienced trade, such as electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, tilers, plasterers, bricklayers and builders to learn specific skills and update their knowledge, which can be added to their range of customer services.
First enquiry will give you a first clue! Listen to the their telephone style. Friendly, yes, but do they sound knowledgeable and can explain in detail about the course you have in mind? Are they approved by City & Guilds and the major trade body examiners and verifiers, most importantly in electrical and plumbing? Do they offer you the opportunity to visit their centre so they can spend time showing you around?
Find out just comprehensive their courses are, availability and if subscribed? What course teaching aids are available and are you offered flexibility with regards when you can train, how long it will take and are there staggered schedules for some types of courses?
There are sure to be other questions you will need to ask with regards your own specific requirements and once again, focus on how keen the response and desire to genuinely help. The next important step will be the visit to the training centre itself!
AbleSkills training – flexible choice of courses to suit you!
If you’ve made your mind up and are ready to train for a brand new career as an electrician or plumber, the likelihood is that you have already worked out your available time schedules. Now all you have to do is find a training centre that offers you the right course over a period of time that suits your needs!
There may not be a training centre nearest to you that is able to offer different training length options for your chosen course. More importantly, they may not be approved to run recognised professional entry level industry courses - like Electrical NVQ 2330 level 2 and level 3 and Plumbing NVQ 6129, also levels 2 and 3. It is now essential that these courses must be fully accredited by the statutory bodies like City & Guilds, Building Engineering Services, EAL,IPHE, CAA, NICEIC and ISO and Gas Safe registered. AbleSkills is firmly established and one of the foremost recognised and approved training centres for City & Guild accredited course in South East England.
Whatever your circumstances, from long experience as a training provider, AbleSkills will most likely have already an ideal training schedule for the course you wish to take that will fit your specific needs. Even if are currently working full-time and can only spare the weekends to train or are about to go part time and wish to train on the days you will not be working. It may even be that you have a set period of time off due to you and you would like to train then.
Whether you are looking for a key electrical or plumbing courses, there are many flexible training options from weekend courses, to full time courses over a different number of weeks depending on whether you wish to train over periods from say, 2 days, 5 days, 10 days to 2 weeks or 20 weeks, and even options to take a break and split your training periods ! Similarly, our other construction trade course like tiling and bricklaying are also flexible.
For all those who are still considering the best training route, AbleSkills also offers a number of certificated introductory courses that cover set skills for DIY, home improvement as well as introductory electrical/gas and plumbing training. Most of these course last just two days or over the weekend, so are a great way to test your practical abilities.
For many students, once achieving an NVQ level 2, they will almost certainly want to progress to level 3 and onto associated skills, e.g. plumbing on to gas training, Able Skills will help you to assess and advise on your best options, timewise. Similarly, for those already in one of the trade skill industries and who wish to upgrade their knowledge on the latest requirements or undertake a learn a further skill then the same flexible options are still available to you.
This especially applies to the developing green energy courses AbleSkills offer. With an eye on future green technologies and employment, training on a solar course (PV) or air/ground source heating should be seriously considered as they increasingly form an important part of key trade skills knowledge.
It’s vitally important that you get good advice first. Always call and to ask to come down and take a look at what is being offered, which will best serve your requirements. AbleSkills will give you the time of day and speak with you! Not only that, they will invite you to come down and have a look around their extensive training centre. With expert advice and your questions answered, you’re bound to find the right course get you started in your new career!
Construction Projects Looking Good For Trade Skills Training!
It’s not all bad news in the UK economy! In between news of the country’s slow and painful climb out of recession, there have been announcements by Government and private planners of exciting new construction industry projects. The good news is they are almost guaranteed to provide solid future employment for electricians, plumbers and other trade skills personnel such as plasterers and bricklayers.
Here are some recent examples of newbuild projects that will bound to be recruiting for trained and qualified electricians and plumbers:
Barratts Developers report an improvement in the house building market by a 43 per cent yearly growth in forward sales of its houses in the six months leading to December 2009. The company also revealed that, with margins growing, it expects to deliver 12,000 units during the next financial year.
In the largest spend on local housing for at least twenty years, the Government has announced a £ 500m public investment to build more than 4,000 new energy efficient council homes for 8,000 people in a programme for 73 councils covering every region of England. Importantly, for the first time, all councils receiving Government funds will be required to offer apprenticeship and local job recruitment schemes, creating 7,500 jobs and around 100 new apprenticeship places.
Thirty-five of the 73 councils receiving funding will extend their council house building work which is already underway, while 38 councils receive this government backing for the first time.
Education building schemes are also in the frame in 2010! Partnerships for Schools have also recently announced 12 Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects are shortly to begin across the UK. In the early months of 2010, refurbishment or rebuilding work will get underway on schools in Darlington, Brent, Norfolk, Wakefield, Devon, Kingston & Croydon, Sefton, Havering, Lancashire, Plymouth, Tameside and Warrington.
According to Partnerships For Schools, “…delivering new schools facilities … is set to help safeguard tens of thousands of jobs on the ground in the construction and related industries.”
Further long-term prospects for those training to qualify as an electrician or plumber were also given an extra boost when it was also recently announced by Partnerships for Schools that £12 million is to be invested by the government to install new smart energy meters in institutions across Britain.
Focusing on the capital, the London Gateway project , currently standing at £1.5 billion, has begun construction, driving up an enormous potential for job creation in the South East. Latest estimates forecast a total requirement for 36,000 skilled personnel with 12,000 short-term opportunities to workers in construction and logistics.
Credit-Based QCF 2357 Replaces NVQs in 2010.
City Guilds NVQs are about to be transformed with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) in September 2010. The good news for all those thinking of enrolling on a City & Guilds course is that the new system will not fundamentally alter the level of knowledge and training requirements, as they are intended to greatly improve learning capability by making the course units easier to understand, more flexible and allow for interchangeable – or ‘combination’- skillsets.
The relevant qualification relating to trade skill training is QCF 2357, which will directly replace the current NVQs for Technical Certificate in Electrotechnical Technology (2330) and Electrotechnical Services (2356) qualification. In addition, a new QCF plumbing qualification will replace the Technical Certificate in Plumbing Studies Level 2 (6129).
Under the new system, a ‘credit value’ which measures the estimated number of hours it takes the average learner to complete all the learning outcomes and ‘difficulty’ level assigned to every unit. The values will be used in a set rule of ‘combination’. This means some units will appear in more than one qualification and the credit can be transferred between qualifications, as long as it forms part of the ‘rules of combination’. This will allow for more flexible career pathways, with reduced repetition, as learners can build on previously ‘banked’ credit as they move through sizes and levels.
The new qualifications will not affect the ability of AbleSkills to take you through a structured course development, in order to train you through the required levels to be fully ready and industry compliant within your chosen occupation.
You will still be able to commence at entry level and train through to obtain the necessary qualifications - and this also applies if you are in a mid career change. As in the current NVQ system, both the Plumbing and Electrical QCF 2357 , which would be available at levels 2 and 3, will require the undertaking of a series of knowledge units, progressing onto practical units and a final competency assessment would need to be successfully achieved before a qualification certificate is issued.
At AbleSkills, training courses will still enable any student to progress from ‘domestic-through-to-commercial’ in the key trade skills of electrical, plumbing, gas installation, tiling or associated building trades, such as bricklaying or plastering.
What To Do When Returning To A Flooded Home
Once again, torrential weather and severe flooding is in the news with many homes subject to catastrophic water damage. Returning home to deal with the big clear up still has many hidden dangers that have to be thought out before entering the house. Think logically through a check list that draws on both some basic common sense plumbing and electrical procedures.
Check the house exterior by doing a visual walk around of your home to see if there are any downed power lines, or electrical connections that may be in contact with the water. Smell for any gas in the air as often there may be a gas leak and if you find either of these problems, call the correct utility company. If water is still around the house, check to see if the outside walls have cracked or giving way because of the water pressure being exerted on them. If there’s water still around, don’t enter the home, There’s always a chance that the walls could give way and the house could collapse around you. Be cautious around porches and overhangs. These areas may have weakened during a flood and could give way or collapse.
Disconnect the electrical and gas supplies to lessen the chance of fire, explosion or electrocution. Even if the power is out or the power supply has been disconnected from the power pole by the utility company, your electrical fuse or breaker panel’s main fuse or breaker may still be on. In this case, at any time during the day, the utility company could come back and turn the power on to your home. You may not be aware that they’ve turned the power back on and your panel is now live, subjecting you to potential shock hazards.
If the only way to disconnect the gas and power is inside the home and there’s water where you have to shut them off, don’t enter the home to do so until you can safely enter the home and the water has been removed.
Before you enter a home that has been flooded, be sure to have the proper clothing, footwear, and safety items that may be needed.
Boots : wear waterproof rubber boots or waders with hard soles. If you’re walking in muddy, water-coated floors and basements, there are likely sharp objects that you could step on.
Dust Mask : wear a mask over your mouth and nose to protect your lungs from pollutants and disease.
Gloves: wear preferably rubber gloves to handle anything in flooded areas. Materials may be a health hazard due to sewage, chemicals, and oil in the water.
Hard Hats and Protective Clothing: Loose and crumbling ceilings, falling debris, and trapped water are potential hazards to your head and body when entering a flooded home.
You are will need a First Aid Kit, Flashlight, A Dry Wooden stick ( to turn off electrical breakers, unplug cords) and cleaning supplies.
After flood waters have receded and there’s no water pressure on the walls, you can slowly pump the water, being careful not to pump it out too fast. Remember, the ground is still saturated with water and removing the internal resistant pressure on the walls may cause them to give way. Lower the water level over a period of a few days, reducing it a few feet at a time. With the power off, carefully spray the house down with water to remove a majority of the mud and muck from your home. Use disinfectant cleaners to wash walls and floors down.
Sump pump pits often fill up with mud and debris and must be cleaned up from time to time, especially following a flood.
It is important to open up the bottom of flooded walls and remove all wet material from them. Turn on fans and dehumidifiers as soon as possible to dry the home. Deadly mold can form quickly in warm and moist areas in the home. Get wet carpeting and padding out of the home as soon as possible. Get garbage, effected clothing, etc. out of the home and clear the floor space in rooms and closets. Open the windows to let the house breath. By getting the home dried out quickly, you’ll be on your way to cleaning and repairing it.
By using a pump sprayer and bleach water, you can effectively clean your home and make it sterile. The recommended mixture of water to bleach is ten to one. The water will soak into the wood and any mould will come out to the surface of the wood to be killed by the bleach.
How Do You Know If A Skills Training Centre Is Any Good?
Skills training centres seem to be popping up everywhere these days! Government encouragement of training initiatives for huge construction programmes like the 2012 Olympics - have been a catalyst for new building training centres appearing around the country. Five minutes on the internet and you can come up with a long list of training providers, all appearing to offer the same courses in obtaining trade skill qualifications, i.e. plumbing, electrical, gas, carpentry, etc.
But judging by the feedback on trade forums, the experience for many applicants has been negative and accusations of ‘ripoff’ fly around with alarming frequency!
So how do you work out the industry’s genuine, high quality training providers from the rest?
You have to do your homework! You must be prepared to spend time to conduct research by first finding out all about the course/s you wish to take then ask the right questions and see what answers you get! Ask if you can go and take look at the training facilities and speak with as many people as possible, including the tutors and especially the students currently on the course – find out directly what their experience has been!
The very first thing you can do is check their website!
- Many offer their own certificated diplomas but do they run approved City & Guilds NVQ qualification training as well?
- Check for accreditation from recognised national trade bodies in the relevant skills sectors.
- Are the site pics genuine, or are they poor quality, low res and look as though they have been taken from elsewhere?
- Generally, is the website trying to be open and transparent, offering as much information as possible about each course?
- How many training staff and are their pics and biographies available to check for approved training status?
- Do they have a feedback forum, and blog ? When was the last posting?
- How up-to-date is all the content? Does the site look regularly attended?
In other words, do you think they have proper training facilities?
You must give them a telephone call to fully satisfy yourself with regards the following:
• How long have they been around ? How do they reply to this and how much information do they tell you and how are their claims backed up?
• Is there dedicated space and equipment for each of the training subjects?
• Do the training staff possess genuine approved, recognised and accredited qualifications and credentials ? Have they substantial industry working experience ? Both the training provider as a company and all of its instructors and trainers must be fully certificated from established regulated bodies.
• How open and flexible do they appear to be ? Can you train both at home and at their premises? Is there an extensive choice of options that allow you to study and train in your own time and at your own pace? In addition to tuition, what other training aids do you get, to help with thoroughly understanding what needs to be learnt ?
• Can they offer you proper career progression through a schedule of approved City & Guilds training programmes?
• Are there Green Energy training courses in the new renewable technologies?
Even if you are just seeking to take a course, say in kitchen fitting, you need to know that the quality of training will be identical. The key is the final authorised assessments and examinations that are set in place for you to be sure you are properly trained to confidently do the work. You must ask if they are a fully accredited NVQ Assessment centre with approval to deliver qualification training from the City & Guilds, Construction Awards Alliance.
At the end of the day - you need to know what you are getting for the money? And can you be provided with options for a flexible payment plan ? Can they offer funding to help pay for the courses?
Australia needs trained trade skills now!
Unlike the UK and most of the rest of the world, Australia has managed to avoid recession! Essentially, for two reasons: it has a seemingly endless supply of natural resources, and China, who is a customer of these resources! Australia’s main challenge is finding enough people to undertake the skilled work the booming economy is demanding, from almost any qualified and experienced trades person or professional, including bricklayers, plumbers, engineers, health workers, administrators, oil & gas workers and airline pilots among many more. Right now there are thousands of positions vacant in Australia, awaiting skilled workers and professionals from the UK, Ireland and elsewhere.
In 2009 alone, over 200,000 new jobs have been created in Australia as the country evades recession and its economy continues to expand. Massive new trade and export deals plus multi-billion dollar national infrastructure projects are in train, to create more than a million new jobs over the next five years.
The good news is that if you have trained on an approved City & Guilds trade skill NVQ course, countries like Australia and New Zealand will accept the qualifications as equivalent to their own official certifications. Listed trade occupations will give you a sufficient number of ‘points’, given according to their basic requirements . In addition, if you have relatives or a confirmed job offer, then these provide extra points.
Having NVQ training qualifications in a specialised construction trade skill, you will also score highly in the Skilled Migrants category of the Migration program. You may also be required to show evidence of at least one years exerience after qualifying to work at your trade and the more proven experience gained, then the more ‘points’ you earn! Remember, that applications for visas, work permits and possible examinations can take many months so do check to find out the time scales involved and plan your training well in advance.
Currently, official figures from Australia show the number of new homes will increase by 64,00 between now and 2014. Major new construction works are also planned. The expanding economy is fuelling great demand for office and factory space in addition to new homes for a rising population. It all adds up to an ever-expanding need for skilled workers. In fact, workers are urgently needed across the spectrum. For example, the most in-demand workers in Australia at this time are bricklayers, who can earn an average £ 2,000 per week.
Tradespeople and professionals from construction to admin and I.T are all in demand and the trend will continue for many years, creating and securing tens of thousands of new jobs. For UK workers and their families it’s an opportunity to start a new life with well-paid jobs !
Play Your CSCS card right and you’ll be qualified to work on-site!
Health & Safety on site – irrespective of working in domestic or commercial premises, has come a long way in recent years. Whether you work on major building developments or in households, you must show proof that you have undergone awareness training of the issues that can make the difference between safe and dangerous working. Most large sites require you to undertake an ‘induction’ session as well, even before you are allowed to work.
It has become standard to alert and reassure the public that a building firm is part of a ‘Safe Construction’ scheme with large signs showing exactly who is and who is not allowed on site and the regulatory clothing/equipment necessary. At the very least this means: hard hat, steel-tipped boots and hi-vis vest.
Increasingly, Government legislation has been put into place to ensure that everyone working within the construction industry has received sufficient Health & Safety awareness training and can show proof of training by holding a ‘Construction Services Certification Scheme’ (CSCS) Card. The likelihood is that you will not be allowed access to most UK construction sites and this may affect your ability to generally work within the industry!
Obtaining your CSCS card will require you to sit an online multiple choice test, which are held at an approved skills training centre. This applies to everyone from an entrant with no formal construction qualifications right through to a Skilled worker card, once NVQ level 2 is achieved. You would need to ensure that your trade is covered by CSCS as each card will be colour coded accordingly :
Green (site operative) - No formal construction qualifications.
Red (trainee) - NVQ or Construction Award registered (but not yet qualified)
Blue (skilled) - NVQ Level 2 Experienced Worker ( minimum 1 year job experience) - temporary, non-renewable only.
- NVQ Level 2 Qualified ( Skilled worker) – permanent.
If you are not qualified in a specific subject, Able Skills has a dedicated Health and Safety advisor, IOSH & NEBOSH Certified, always available to provide you with the training to help you pass your Health and Safety examination. Remember - Terms of Employment even with a company mostly working within domestic dwellings are likely to be dependent on possessing a CSCS card!
Wherever you decide to take Health & Safety course, it is strongly advised to enquire as to the expertise and qualification of the health and safety trainer being provided. A qualified instructor will ensure that all areas of site health and safety are covered and all learning material relevant for the test for when you are working on site. Even if you are only looking to cover a variety of non-specific trade tasks, a 1 day training course will cover the necessary requirement to gain a Site Operative card.
