Explaining Plumbing NVQ ’s – Where To Go
We often read in the press of the salaries that the Plumbing trade is achieving. 30-70k p.a. is often talked about because of the lack of Plumbers. So, is this the truth of the matter, or are we being lied to? To be fair, this wage level is reasonable for the correctly qualified and experienced Plumber. So whilst those working in the self-employed role can get incomes of 70-100k p.a., those working in more conventional employment routes often find it hard to achieve this salary.
If you enter the traditional work environment, primarily working for an established employer, then working hours of Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm are standard. Approximately wages of 15k and 30k p.a. are reasonable within the UK, along with standard benefits such as holiday pay and sickness allowance. By working ‘out of hours’ – typically longer than 9am to 6pm Mon- Fri the self employed person can often achieve a higher wage. For example in the domestic sector where clients are often at work during the working day, self employed plumbers are regularly required to work during evening and weekend visits.
There is the also the fact which fits some people more than others and that is self employment. This can involve factors such as getting the basics sorted out and the need to use good ‘business sense’ overall. Equally, most self-employed people will need to pay additional costs to cover their materials and transport, alongside legal and accountancy fees etc. While these costs can mount up, so too do the benefits, however the costs should always remain a smaller part of the income generated. And the positives virtually always beat the downsides!
Often customary work from employers attracts Student Entrants especially if it meets their needs training in working knowledge and experience. Equally the Self Employed Entrant needs to increase their list of qualifications within a reasonable time frame. To be fair it is the ‘domestic’ market which appeals to a large number of self-employed plumbers and not necessarily that of the commercial sector. (The majority do at the very least)
In terms of plumbing education, there appears to be some similarity between the certification modules required by each path into the industry. There does remain considerable question when the factor of NVQ’s (SVQ’s in Scotland) is realised.
To begin with the NVQ structure appears to be much more important to the Student Entrant than to the Self Employed Entrant. By calling upon a wider range of qualifications Self Employed Entrants will be able to meet their clients’ needs from the start. The self employed person needs to consider the wishes of their household clients and use the relative domestic-centred qualifications to satisfy them. The Student Entrant, once they have covered the key fundamentals, will carry on their study in a way similar to an apprenticeship (within the workplace – where the NVQ element can be assessed.) Considerable savings potential exists to the Student Entrant by taking on this cheaper form of study. That said it is the ability to gain real financial rewards long before the Student Entrant that encourages many Self-Employed Entrants to gain certifications faster and be motivated by a stronger commercial attitude.
It is the required financial rewards that drive the urgency of clear careers discussions, whether they are overall study or certification requirements. It would prove extremely difficult for an adult – requiring 20kp.a and having to look after their family – to go back to college and then spend 3 years in low-paid apprenticeship work. Equally, many self-employed students fund the courses themselves whereas the Student Entrants often have their studies paid for them as part of their overall apprenticeships. These costs (for self-employed status) can often end up around 3k-10k+, dependent upon the course structure and the level of certification sought.
Student Entrants will in the main study at further-education colleges, the Self Employed student however has the option to consider the increased scope of private commercial colleges. It is through well known educational paths that many commercial training companies can offer routes into correct qualifications and skill-set requirements. The ability to train in evenings, part-time or in self study classes allowing people to continue with their existing job and maintaining their current financial situation remains one of the key advantages to Self Employed Entrants. With so many colleges at hand, the key is to secure as many with technical data sources and gather them. To review your options why not book mark this page (CTRL-D) and you can come back and review the links and adverts we have provided for you.
Many plumbing students will go on to consider additional courses to increase their ‘marketability’. Areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical training can offer additional qualifications to Plumbers. As part of the commercial and domestic heating procedures, Gas training continues to be popular with Plumbers.
Gas Training is considered a dedicated training program with key subjects followed by important NVQ’s. It is the ability to add extra skills to the fore, along with the features that on-going training offers that continue to be attractive to those who trained as a plumber. From this stance, the mature student is often more suited to a cross of Plumbing/Gas training. It is by centring on these core elements and dropping the NVQ elements that the Mature Student appears to settle.
It is from this mix of training methods that the self-employed professional appears to benefit. To earn money whilst at the same time as gaining a wider range of perceived skills becomes a desirable prospect. This adds to their overall package rather than having to rely on sub-contraction of key skills to third parties. Of concern is the reduction in customer’s value as they have to wait for jobs to be completed by others that in turn can lead to a reduction of the earning potential of a job. In order to offer more value to their relative clients Plumbers need to be more skilled in their job role.
In consideration therefore the Self Employed Entrant has the chance to earn considerably more and at a realistically higher pace than the Student Entrants, to do so they do have to develop both the range of certifications that they hold and consider the business elements as well. Note: This information reflects the needs and requirements for the industry and policies of the UK market alone.
(C) Scott Edwards 2009. Check out Plumbing Courses UK or CLICK HERE.
