Here at Able Skills we have been teaching aspiring tradespeople the skills they need for 20-years! We like to keep up to date with what is going on in the industries that we are a part of. Today we want to look at a mistake homeowners are making by carrying out too much DIY during lockdown. The Gas Safe Register says that 90% of householders are unaware of how their renovations could impact their home insurance cover...

gas courses
Our previous student Scott on his Gas Course at Able Skills.

What's the issue?

DIY is a great thing, it can be therapeutic and very rewarding taking on odd jobs around the house, things like plumbing jobs, fixing that leaky tap, redecorating and generally improving your household. However, there are certain jobs that are best left to the professionals. Not just for the fact that these are more complex tasks like fixing a boiler but there are also legal issues here. Not to mention future insurance claims could be rejected if thrifty homeowners make common mistakes, including using faulty home appliances, causing DIY damage by moving a boiler or building a conservatory, in fact, 51% of people in the UK say they've never read their home insurance policy in full. Put simply, not using a certified tradesperson for gas and electrical work could invalidate your home insurance.

Specifically for Gas work, here in the UK we have the Gas Safe Register for a reason. They look to protect the public from illegal gas work, preventing injury and even death from things like carbon monoxide poisoning. It is illegal for anybody not registered with them to carry out gas work of any kind. We get it, with many dealing with negative economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, cutting costs seems great but could prove costly in the end.

Electrical courses
Our previous student Netti getting on with her electrical course here at our centre.

Interested in learning at trade?

Here at our training centre we offer a complete range of both construction and technical trades. So, whether you are looking to learn some DIY skills with our introductory courses such as Introduction to Tiling for example or Introduction to Plastering then we have got you covered. These courses are taught over 5-days by experts in the trade. These are short but pack a huge punch with plenty of skills to gain and hands-on experience to be had. We are slowly bringing in small groups back to our centre and we hope to see you soon! Give our office team a call on 01322 280 202 for more information!

Now, we cannot currently take on a large volume of students. We are working hard and keeping up with the governments advice to ensure that we are presenting a space that is safe and reliable for both our students and staff. However we do offer remote training options for those interested in Plumbing and Electrical courses. Our Home-Study range allows you to get started during lockdown by learning the theory at home, we will send you all the information, textbooks and resources you need to learn the fundamentals before attending the centre to learn the practical side when it is safe to do so.

Home-Study courses

We will send you the relevant City & Guilds textbooks as well as a specially crafted Home-Study pack to get you up to speed with the theory. Allowing you to start working towards qualifications and a new career at your own pace, from home.


Want more information?

Again, for more information on any of the training courses we offer like Electrical courses, Gas courses, Plumbing courses and our range of construction options call us on 01322 280 202 - It is the most direct way to get questions answered and book courses with us. Our office team are here to answer your calls 7-days-a-week between 8:30 - 16:30!

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Carpentry courses

Trusted and Industry renounced qualifications from City & Guilds and BPEC.