We’ll always need plumbers. Whether it’s for new builds or essential home maintenance, we all need the number of a good plumber close to the phone. No wonder it’s a popular trade for a career change. Working with your hands, problem solving, being out and about meeting people and working with colleagues, plus the trade continues to offer career opportunities. 

If you’re considering it as a career change, this helpful guide will take you through some different options for adult plumbing courses.

How to become a plumber

There are a few different routes to become a plumber, but for the purposes of this guide, we’re going to focus on plumbing courses for a career change. 

You can absolutely become a plumber even if you’ve never done any plumbing before. You don’t need experience; you just need the right training – reality training that gives you plenty of hands-on practical work in a supervised environment. 

There are numerous plumbing courses for adults to choose from. It’s about finding the right one for you. One that fits your learning goal and fits around your life, so you can be on your way to your new career as quickly as possible. 

Beginner plumbing course

If you’re brand new to the industry, but still unsure if plumbing’s the right move for you, start with a beginner plumbing course to get a taste of the trade before committing to a full qualification. Beginner plumbing courses or introduction to plumbing courses are suitable for learning DIY plumbing or as an induction towards a new career in the trade.

Fast-track plumbing course

What’s often referred to as a fast-track plumbing course, simply means that it’s an intense course over a number of weeks, rather than doing a plumbing apprenticeship over a number of years. 

Flexible plumbing course

Plumbing courses for adults are often available as flexible learning. They’re designed to fit in and around existing work schedules or family or caring commitments. Examples include weekend plumbing courses and evening plumbing courses. The evening classes are usually at FE colleges, so you might find they’re tied to term times and are a longer course as it’s only for a few hours each week. 

How to choose the best plumbing course for you

When considering adult plumbing training, look for accredited plumbing courses that offer industry-standard plumbing qualifications. 

An example is a City & Guilds Level 2 in Plumbing. This course is ideal as a first step towards becoming a qualified plumber. As an industry-recognised entry point, it’s aimed at people who aren’t currently working in the plumbing industry, as the course will take you from learning the basics and, over a number of weeks of practical and theory, builds a comprehensive understanding of domestic plumbing so you have the underpinning knowledge and practical skills to begin working towards a career in plumbing.

Learn plumbing at any age

These types of adult plumbing courses make retraining for a career change more accessible than ever. A plumbing training course through a private construction training provider means: 

  • You don’t need any prior experience in plumbing before you start
  • You don’t need any preexisting qualifications before you sign up
  • You can learn on your terms – choose from full-time, part-time weekends and home study flexible options 

Learning a trade is not just for school leavers and apprentices. You can become a plumber at 30, 40, 50 or absolutely any age. 

What is it like to do a plumbing course at Able Skills?

At Able Skills we offer beginner plumbing courses right through to additional specialist qualifications – plumbing training for every stage of your career. 

If you don’t have any prior experience in plumbing and want to do a plumbing course for a career change, then either the City & Guilds Level 2 Plumbing Course or the City & Guilds Full Plumbing Package are both the industry recognised entry points at Level 2. The difference between them is that the Full Plumbing Package at Able Skills includes a plumbing NVQ (something to consider if you want to work on site as a plumber), the WRAS (Water Regs course) and G3 (vented and unvented hot water systems course).

Course content

The Level 2 Plumbing Course - City & Guilds 6035-02 covers: 

  • Electrical principles and processes
  • Common plumbing processes
  • Cold water systems
  • Domestic hot water systems
  • Sanitation
  • Central heating systems
  • Drainage systems

It’s designed to give you the in-depth technical knowledge and a qualification without completing an apprenticeship. It combines practical and theory training with practical assignments and on-line exams. 

This course takes 6 weeks to complete full-time and costs £3495, but is available as a part-time course at weekends or as a home-study, where you’ll combine learning the theory from home with practical work and assessments in the training centre. 

See our range of plumbing courses and qualifications

Why choose Able Skills

Our plumbing courses take place in one of two plumbing units among our 50,000sqft multi-trade training space. Students are supported with tools, materials equipment, a Level 2 plumbing reference book and, of course, tuition and guidance from our time-served instructors. 

“I attended Able Skills 6-week Level 2 City & Guilds Plumbing course. It was very well run, both for the classroom and workshop classes. Workshop classes benefit from large amount of bays dedicated to installation of various pipework and appliances. Participants are provided with all tools and materials necessary to complete the course. The instructors are knowledgeable and professional, but also personable. From what I gather, Able Skills is the best provider of this course in the UK and I would highly recommend them.” – Review from Trustpilot

Need help finding the right plumbing course for you? 

Email us on hello@ableskills.co.uk

Call us on 01322 280 202

FAQs about adult plumbing courses

Am I too old to become a plumber? 

No. You can retrain to become a plumber at any age.  

What plumbing qualifications do I need? 

While you don’t strictly need formal qualifications to start work in the industry, a level 2 in plumbing is considered the industry entry point. This will give you the underpinning knowledge and practical know-how to begin a career in plumbing. 

How do I know if a plumbing training course is any good?

If you’re looking for a plumbing course because you want to become a plumber, look for an accredited plumbing course. If you look for City & Guilds, you can verify that the centre is approved to deliver that qualification.

Do I need to be working in the industry to get a plumbing NVQ?

Yes, as NVQs are declarations of competence, it’s a qualification that assessed in the workplace, so you’ll need to be working to collect evidence for your portfolio and so you can be assessed on site. 

What is the JIB PMES Blue Card? 

The JIB PMES Blue Card is short for the Joint Industry Board for Plumbing Mechanical Engineering Services CSCS Blue (Skilled Worker) card. Basically, it’s usually a requirement if you want to work on site as a plumber.

What’s next for your plumbing career?

Once you have the Level 2 in plumbing, you could consider pursuing an NVQ Level 2 in plumbing so you can access the JIB PMES Blue Card or doing an additional plumbing qualification such as WRAS if you want to join WIAPS. Training to be a gas engineer is a popular next step too, given frequent crossover in heating.