Not only is the completion of your gas portfolio a mandatory requirement before you can obtain your gas qualifications, but it is also one of the most valuable stages of your training as it provides the opportunity to test your learned skills in real, on-the-job situations.

However, despite its importance, many engineers in training can encounter frustrating roadblocks when it comes to sourcing a suitable placement to complete their portfolio. 

What are the common hurdles when sourcing a gas work placement? 

Placements and portfolios must be completed while under the supervision of a qualified and Gas Safe registered engineer. However, given that these engineers are regularly busy and in high demand, it can be difficult for them to find a suitable time to monitor and guide a newcomer to the industry. 

Then there’s the added complication of finding a placement based somewhere that you can actually get to. Unfortunately, this forces many people into long, expensive commutes, which becomes an even bigger hurdle when considering these placements are often unpaid. 

There are also set requirements that your portfolio must meet before you can move to the next stage of your training. However, there is no guarantee that the qualified engineer you’re partnered with will always get the chance to guide you through all of these during your placement period, leaving you with an incomplete portfolio.

For example, ventilation checks are a mandatory part of the gas portfolio, if your engineer doesn’t get tasked with this while you’re working together, there is no way for them to show you how to complete and record the work. 

We do encourage all Able Skills students to try and find their own work placement, as this can help them save money and potentially be better suited from a geographical location perspective. However, we’re also well aware that this isn’t always possible, which is why we also offer a gas portfolio completion package. 

Completing your gas portfolio with Able Skills

To help trainee engineers speed up this stage of their training, Able Skills is able to offer guaranteed work placements to both their gas engineer students and non-students, thanks to our partnership with Wrightway Gas. 

This means you won’t have to spend weeks, or even months, looking around for a placement and know that you’ll be able to tick off all the necessary elements of your portfolio while under the supervision of an experienced Gas Safe registered engineer. It also means you’ll be able to move on to obtaining your qualifications and seeking employment on a much shorter timeline. 

This gas portfolio completion is included within some of our gas training packages, and can also be taken as a standalone option for anyone who has completed gas training with an LCL Awards training provider, whether that be Able Skills or elsewhere. 

You can find more information about all of our gas packages, including our portfolio completion partnership with Wrightway Gas, online here. If there’s anything you’re unsure about, or you’d like a bit more information, feel free to give us a call on 01322 280 202.