Archive for the ‘Plumbing’ Category
Warm Homes, Greener Homes Strategy Boost To Construction Industry
Under new plans announced by the Government this month, a ‘green’ transformation of Britain’s homes will take place over the next decade- designed to make them more comfortable, warmer and cheaper to run.
With around one quarter of UK emissions coming from energy used in homes the ‘Warm Homes, Greener Homes’ strategy is aimed at cutting emissions from the UK’s homes by 29% by 2020.
The new strategy will help people make smarter use of energy in homes, making it easier to take action and reduce bills. Installing some technologies, such as solid wall insulation, could see energy bills cut by £380 a year (average between 2013 and 2020).
The new strategy will also help boost jobs, with up to 65,000 jobs required in the green homes industry as a result, for example installing and manufacturing energy saving measures or providing home energy advice.
The demand for trained and qualified industry personnel is also likely to increase, with the focus on those training to be an electrician or looking to work as a plumber. Energy efficient heating and lighting technology is now an urgent priority and it’s becoming clear that undertaking green energy course training in Solar PV installation or ground /air source heat pumps is going to directly benefit trade skills trainees.
Knowing how to make a green energy assessment and undertake the required installation will be of direct relevance to experienced electricians and plumbers, who wish to upgrade their service provision.
The Warm Homes, Greener Homes Strategy will be implemented in a three stage plan:
• Insulation of 6 million homes by the end of 2011
• Insulation of all practical lofts and cavity walls by 2015
• Up to 7 million eco upgrades offered by 2020- all homes to have smart meters
The first demand for electrical and plumbing services looks to be from social housing. Government aims to focus efforts to reduce bills and carbon emissions with council and housing association landlords linking up with energy companies to get efficiency work done.
For those who wish to make a new career in the electrical or plumbing sector, entry level training without any prior knowledge or experience, can be undertaken on a City & Guilds NVQ Level 2 course – Electrical 2330, or Plumbing 6129 - which provides foundation knowledge and introduction to the required practical skills before qualifying to progress onto Level 3.
Plumbing Training Puts Your Hands To Many Skills!
In times of recession, those who specialise in one narrow area of expertise may find the going very tough indeed! However, those possessing an extensive field of knowledge and practical expertise within a given subject area are more likely to weather the economic uncertainties.
Training to be a plumber offers considerable scope, as it is not always realised just how versatile a plumber’s various skills can be - of which , one or more services are bound to be in demand at any time. In today’s world, a plumber is not always unblocking drains and fixing boiler thermostats!
Although, traditionally, some may have only chosen to work as ‘wet only plumbers’, and specialise in piped systems for water such as fitting bathrooms, radiators and sprinkler systems, energy efficiency is now a big and growing part of a plumber’s knowledge area, and may be expected to be called upon to be an energy assessor and advise householders on renewable ‘green energy’ water and heating systems, such as ground/ air heat pumps.
Most recently, plumbers were called into the front line with the announcement of the government’s ‘boiler scrappage’ scheme, aiming to replace the old ‘G’ rated boiler with the new energy efficient ‘A’ rated appliances.
The starting point for all plumbing trainees, is the City & Guilds Plumbing 6129 Technical Certificate which provides understanding of first plumbing principles and introduces the various basic knowledge areas and practical skills needed to practice as a competent, qualified plumber. Moving onto NVQ Level 3 is the next stage in career development and from there onto learning to install gas central heating systems.
Plumbers also learn to undertake ‘roofing work’ – providing a skilled service that requires the working out of precise dimensions and correct angles to fix sheet lead weathering on all types of roofs, insert chimney stack flashing and install roof valley gutters to porch canopies and external dormers.
Learning how to carefully operate and use welding equipment is another important skill to be mastered, as oxy-acetylene brazing, bronze and fusion ( lead) welding is used daily by plumbers for connecting copper pipes and for lead roofing work. And of course, learning how to work with plastics technology, from pipes to plumbers traps and connectors, which requires the use of solvents and adhesives.
For many career switch students, learning plumbing may simply require an adapting or extending their present work skillsets or building upon an interest in DIY, to enable a great opportunity to work in a rewarding and fulfilling new career.
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”.
Approved Training Prevents Plumbing Imposters !
There can be problems to be faced for all those looking to train for a plumbing qualification. There may not be a suitable college course near to where you live or not enough plumbing companies who have vacancies to take on apprentices or students for work based experience.
Established and industry approved training centres like AbleSkills have become a very popular method for most wishing to start out or retrain for a career in the key skill trades of electrician or plumber. However, unfortunately, not all training centres possess adequate facilities or are accredited for the courses they offer, which are often not the required industry qualifications to carry out specified work.
Ultimately, the students will be paying to undertake courses which will not give them the recognised and legal standard of competency to undertake the work they then attempt to carry out. In a word they may become ‘rogue traders’!
According to the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) - the professional body for the UK plumbing and heating industry - there are approximately 120,000 people who call themselves plumbers in the UK, but not all of these plumbers hold qualifications or experience!
While the ‘cowboy’ element are a minority, they are often highlighted in the media, affecting the reputation of professional plumbers, endangering the public health and can cause costly damage to properties they work on.
The proper route to becoming a professional industry plumber is to undertake an officially accredited and verified City & Guilds Plumbing 6129 Level 2 Technical Certificate course, followed by the City & Guilds Plumbing NVQ Level 3 qualifications required.
As an approved training provider, AbleSkills has accreditation to offer qualifications on behalf of: City & Guilds, Construction Awards Alliance, NICEIC & EAL for Domestic Installer qualifications and CITB for Gas training and assessment. Fully equipped classroom workshops for each trade skill area are overseen by full time instructors, assessors and internal verifiers.
Key to becoming fully industry ready - you will be able to progress your learning through a series of courses that will qualify you to undertake most domestic and commercial work, according to the experience which will need to be built up after completing the courses.
Solar PV at Ecobuild Showcase Key Energy Installation Trend.
The presence of Solar PV technology at this year’s Ecobuild show in London, which takes place from March 2-4, 2010, is a sure sign of the growing interest in installing clean renewable energy in the UK. In addition, visitors will be able to find out more about the government’s Clean Energy Cashback Scheme, due to be launched in April 2010, which allows owners of PV systems to be paid a guaranteed rate for the energy they generate.
Solar systems are not new, and have been used around the world for many years. It is sometimes assumed that solar technology is not suitable for northern European climates, but this is not true. In Germany, for example, where a similar scheme has been in existence since 2000, the market has grown by approximately 3GW per year, creating what is now the largest and most developed market in the world. PV subsidies have been introduced in many other countries around the world with rapid market growth being achieved in each instance.
With over 40,000 systems installed in the UK alone, solar power is becoming the leading source of providing alternative energy. In the UK , we receive sufficient sunshine to provide up to 70% of our annual domestic hot water needs from a well designed solar installation, and this type of system will also reduce harmful emissions by up to 500 kg per square metre of panel per year.
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a solar water heater is a long-term investment, representing real cost and energy saving and providing insurance against energy price increases. Solar PV systems are one of the renewable energy sources that you can have your property assessed for and have the panels easily and safely installed on your roof without the usual kind of local planning problems.
Training to be a plumber or electrician now involves working with the installation of renewable Green Energy for use in the home or workplace. AbleSkills have built dedicated renewable energy training workshops in conjunction with energy assessment courses to supply an increasingly vital service.
Solar heating course training in specially built classrooms provide the necessary theory and practical knowledge for correct and safe installation, which is undoubtedly at the tipping point of becoming an essential skillset for all trade skills trainees, from now on.
AbleSkills Progressive Training With Integrity!
Training to enter the Construction industry as the UK slowly strives to move out of recession is still a safe a solid career move! Estimated worth is in excess of £ 110 billion and employs 1 .5 million! The industry involves a wide range of high technical key skills such as electrical and plumbing to bricklaying, plastering, tiling, carpentry and joinery.
Good quality trade companies and employers always look to recruit fully trained and competent personnel with recognised qualifications who are prepared to honour codes of responsible, professional standards.
Compliance with laws, regulations, standards and codes to safeguard the environment, public health and safety, combined with the desire to constantly broaden, improve and maintain skills, knowledge and personal qualities are the distinguishing traits of both work and service excellence.
Personal qualities of integrity and workmanship are acquired as part of learning your trade in a corresponding professional training environment. Experienced and expert tutors will naturally transfer their own standards of required adherence to quality standards of workmanship, which hold good for your entire working life, not just for passing course assessments to obtain qualifications!
Most trades currently require an NVQ at Level 2 or 3 to be classed as qualified. For those wishing to become an electrician, the City & Guilds 2330 Level 2 is the recognised entry point and for those looking to become a plumber, then the City & Guilds Plumbing 6129 Technical Certificate is the course to commence the necessary foundation knowledge.
An NVQ knowledge training takes time to achieve, using a combination of off-the-job training with a training provider and working with an employer in the sector. Remember - ‘quickie’ courses aimed at the DIY market may be useful for background or the most basic skills, but hardly prepare someone to become a skilled trades person.
At AbleSkills, an extensive trade knowledge learning path has been developed as a structured series of courses, which can be followed to naturally take an entry level student right through all the necessary training and qualifications to be ready to enter the industry at a very high level.
This can favourably put an AbleSkills graduate, who has undertaken and qualified at each step of the related course ladder, at an advantage in the employment application process.
Employers look for at least basic practical skills and essential knowledge gained from a respected City & Guilds qualification or foundation award so that they can at least put the apprentice to work alongside more experienced and qualified people. In addition, they will encourage beginners to further their knowledge and work towards an NVQ.
As an AbleSkills ‘graduate’ you will, have already attained the necessary training qualifications to impress at interview and parachute you into your chosen job destination!
Plumbing Training – the people’s choice!
With so much gloomy economic news recently, it’s always reassuring to hear that the Construction trade skills are solid as a rock, as we would expect them to be! Despite the economic downturn, the news is that training centres and colleges are still experiencing strong demand from students wanting to train to be a plumber, learn electrician skills, or enroll on a plastering course.
The truth is that there always has – and will always be - a shortage of properly skilled and qualified plumbers! Even when cheap East European labour was at its highest in the UK up to fairly recently. Just prior to the onset of the credit crunch, demand was estimated to be running over 32,000!
According to recent reports, plumbing is still the most popular choice, with a quarter of trainees choosing to enroll on the City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course level 2 – a technical certificate that enables you to carry on to the full NVQ Level 3 course.
An established, approved Skills Training centre always represents a vital career opening for many looking to enter the trade construction industry as Colleges do not have the capacity to train the yearly requirement of new plumbers, which typically has always been known to stand at around 3,000 trainee vacancies per annum.
Unlike some institutions or non-accreditated trainers, AbleSkills is a specifically dedicated centre with an engineered 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.
The first key learning schedule is gaining awareness and understanding of the basic principles and a popular method that students opt for is to undertake the Plumbing 6129 home study course. This means learning in your own time and at your own pace, ably assisted by comprehensive self assessment for each module, in order to prepare yourself for final assessment. Practical workshop training begins once the theory learning has been satisfactorily verified at the required standard.
Offering flexible course times and durations – including weekend plumbing courses – for different certifications and qualifications is as varied and student friendly, if not more so, than many of the traditional educational establishments.
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!
Plastics Makes Plumbing Smooth To Learn!
Plastic pipe systems first came into everyday use for above ground drainage, i.e. rainwater gutters, downpipes and soil and waste water systems, where they replaced older cast iron alternatives. In recent years, rapid development in the use of plastics pipe systems for hot and cold water services applications has transformed the plumbing industry – and in plumbing training itself.
Initially put to use primarily for a specific purpose, e.g. ’ restricted access’ or when a fire risk prevents use of rigid systems and blow torches to make joints, plastic products were adopted by the plumbing industry, and they are now very widely used across the UK and elsewhere, around the world.
Learning to accurately measure, bend and fix copper pipes is still an important part of training to be a fully qualified plumber but working with plastic pipes, both rigid and flexible, self sealing waste valves, traps and the different types of connectors is also central to plumbing training and obtaining qualifications. Needless to say, handling plastics equally requires great care and attention to detail and the work rewards still satisfying.
Today’s plastics technology produces products designed for ease of working, installation and long term performance. Some of the most significant developments in the use of plastics are to be found in hot and cold water services and central heating applications, two very important subjects within the City & Guilds Plumbing 6129 level 2 course.
Widespread use of polybutylene pipe, in conjunction with advanced fitting designs, make for a easier and simpler, flexible plumbing system installation. They are now becoming commonplace in new homes and increasingly are being adopted for refurbishment or extension of existing properties/plumbing systems.
Key benefits include :
• The supply of pipe on coils up to 100m in length reducing the number of fittings required upon installation.
• Flexibility making it simpler to route plumbing circuits, in much the same way as electrical wiring, through and around
building elements such as modern silent floor joists or ‘I’ beams.
• Silent operation absorbs and suppresses sound, rather than transmitting it.
• Non- corrosive in soft water areas or scaling up in hard water areas.
• Heat is transmitted through the pipe walls less quickly and they remain cool to the touch - particularly helpful where young children or the elderly and infirm are among a property’s residents.
• Water takes longer to freeze, with the pipe simply expanding to accommodate the greater volume and returning to its original dimensions when temperatures rise.
