To train to be a plumber you don’t normally need any experience or qualifications. Some courses plumbing require school leavers to have 4 GCSEs or above as do some plumbing apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are normally only for the under 25’s but sometimes older people do take this route.  Mature people who want to learn plumbing may require experience to get on certain courses. There are specific City and Guilds qualifications that can be taken by those with no experience. You can expect a lot of competition to get on courses and you will probably face an aptitude test. I will cover the different courses and tests in detail in a later post and put a link in the menu. Plumbing requires a lifelong commitment to learning because the technology of this field changes at such a rapid pace.

You will need to be of reasonable physical fitness, crouching under sinks, lifting heavy objects and working in dusty confined dark spaces will be routine. I have never met a disabled plumber but I am sure there are some of you out there! If so perhaps you could drop me a line and tell me about the challenges faced by disabled plumbers? If you are colour blind that may rule you out of certain aspects of plumbing. Another common question is: Am i to old to become a plumber? The answer is: probably not… I hear stories of people becoming plumbers in their late fifties and you are only as old as you feel, age is just a number.

You will need to be a good team worker and also able to work alone, a methodical and analytical approach to problem solving is needed. You will also need the ability to get along with customers which can be very challenging.

Working as an employee, plumbers will certainly require some form of qualification depending on the particular job. There are self employed plumbers out there with no formal qualifications.