Plumbing apprenticeships come in a fairly bewildering array of shapes and sizes, though technically they all follow the same mandatory stages: NVQ, Key Skills, Technical Certificates and Practical Assessments. You’ll also encounter modules on the responsibilities of certified employees and your rights as an employee. The plumbing courses available to you will depend in part on where you live – though as plumbing apprenticeships are offered at pretty much every major college you ought to be fairly well set no matter where you are.
Plumbing apprenticeships offer a way in to the construction industry’s most secure, safe and lucrative job area. There’s never a lack of demand for the skills you’ll acquire in your apprenticeship: you might put off having some plastering done, or rearranging your kitchen, but if you got a leak you got a leak and you’re going to need it fixed now. While the ‘phones of other skilled workers go terrifyingly silent during prolonged periods of economic difficulty, graduates of plumbing apprenticeships find themselves as busy as ever – and with an expected earning level of between £20 and £45k, those calls end up being pretty well paid.
Generally plumbing apprenticeships follow a similar timeframe – you can expect to be qualified in less than a year, particularly if you are joining full-time plumbing apprenticeships like those offered by most colleges. If you’re in a real hurry you’ll find fast-track apprenticeships that promise to cut your training time significantly. There’s an intensive plumbing apprenticeships centre out there that guarantees to have you messing around in bathrooms in as little as 6 weeks!
All plumbing apprenticeships, no matter what their type or duration, will lead you on a basically similar path to qualification – by law, apprenticeships teach plumbing according to the degree of complexity and safety concern involved in each skill. Your plumbing course will first cover the basic installation and maintenance of non-dangerous plumbing equipment before moving on to heating systems and finally gas. At which point the world of pipes and fittings will be your oyster!
So – if you’re looking for a lucrative way to get your hands dirty, you just found it. Check out the plumbing apprenticeships available to you and start yourself off on the road to a new career.
