Fast-track training to… nowhere
The latest employment figures may be looking positive, but there are still a lot of people who have recently been made redundant. Many of those will be thinking of changing their career and retraining. The thought of eventually being your own boss is a powerful incentive to consider taking up a trade.
Kevin Wellman, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), is urging anyone who is thinking of spending their redundancy money on fast-track training to become a plumber, to reconsider.
“While the majority of training providers offer quality courses and industry-recognised qualifications, there are rogue trainers out there, selling a dream of fast-track courses and high earning careers.
“We have had people contacting the CIPHE to say they have spent thousands of pounds on plumbing courses and have nothing to show for it except a bag of tools and a qualification that isn’t recognised by the industry. It can take years to qualify as a plumber, so if you are being offered a course that only takes a few months to complete it’s very likely you are wasting your money.”
For anyone wanting to enter the plumbing and heating industry it is vital to only train with an accredited provider and to pick the right qualification.
The CIPHE recommends training to NVQ Diploma Level 3, which alongside relevant experience entitles individuals to apply for Corporate Membership of the CIPHE.
The CIPHE has a downloadable FAQ sheet on careers in plumbing on its website: www.ciphe.org.uk/Professional/Careers/
For more information on CIPHE membership please contact lesleyc@ciphe.org.uk
To find out more about qualifications please visit www.cityandguilds.com or www.eal.org.uk
