Welcome to the maze that is ‘Plumbing Related Qualifications’ lets dive straight in and look at some of the most popular recognised courses in plumbing. They are in the order that they need to be completed in. Most are available from local colleges or through fast track or privately funded organisations. Some can be done full time, on the job or as evening plumbing courses. I will also be bringing you some free plumbing courses in a later blog, so call back soon or check the Courses page.

First: Plumbing Technical Certificates (C&G 6126)

Starting from the beginning with no experience or training you will need to do test certificates. There are no formal qualifications required.

City & Guilds (6129) Technical Certificates Level 2 Basic Plumbing Studies and Level 3 Plumbing Studies.

If you have experience as a plumber you can skip this.

This qualification has the following structure:

• 6129-22 Level 2 Certificate in Basic Plumbing Studies (13 mandatory units, 1 optional)
• 6129-33 Level 3 Certificate in Plumbing Studies (9 mandatory units, 1 optional)
• 6129-44 Level 3 Modern Apprenticeship in Plumbing Studies – Direct Access (23 mandatory units)
• 6129-55 Level 3 Certificate in Plumbing Studies (9 mandatory units, 1 optional).

This is taught in a classroom setting. You are assessed with multiple choice tests and practical activities. Doing at weekends may take 40 weeks. Intensive courses will get you through it in around 7 weeks. Costs for intensive courses range from £3500 – £4500. The level 3 is around £2000. This will enable you to continue to other courses in plumbing.

Second: Plumbing NVQ 2 & 3 (C&G 6089)

If you have previous experience this will be your first course. If you have no skills or experience in plumbing you will have to successfully complete C&G 6126 as above. The qualifications are offered at levels 2 and 3. Level 2 has one option level 3 has three options.

• Level 2 NVQ in Mechanical Engineering Services – Plumbing (Domestic) – 6 mandatory units

[You can Stop after level 2 and ‘work as a wet only plumber’ this work involves fitting bathrooms, fixing radiators, basically anything that does not involve gas.] Now lets look as some further courses in plumbing.

• Level 3 NVQ in Mechanical Engineering Services – Plumbing (Domestic) – Gas option
• Level 3 NVQ in Mechanical Engineering Services – Plumbing (Domestic) – 7 mandatory units
• Level 3 NVQ in Mechanical Engineering Services – Plumbing (Domestic) – Oil option – 4 mandatory units.

Learners will need to be in a role related to plumbing before registration. Learning is done on the job. You are assessed by compiling a portfolio of evidence that will demonstrate you are competent enough to meet the requirements. When you have successfully completed level 2 you can then move onto one of the options in level 3. Level 2 can be achieved in approx 6 months and can cost around £2500.

At the time of writing I can find no organisations offering NVQ level 3 other than local colleges, if any readers know why this is please drop me a line. The costs I found for the Level 3 from colleges were around £500. If you do go on to take the level 3 NVQ you will need to be working with a gas safe plumber. There are a also couple of other less common NVQ/SVQ’s about and I will cover them in a later blog.

Third: Sort Courses

• Unvented Domestic Hot Water Storage Systems
• Water Regulations Certification
• PART L Energy Efficiency (City & Guilds 6084)
• PART P Electrical competence Scheme
• Disinfection of Water Systems
• Solar Domestic Hot Water Heating

Prices for the short courses are around £150 at the time of writing and most last a day. You don’t have to do them all, only the ones you need/want.

Part L building regulations means that any plumber installing boilers has to have a City and Guilds 6048 – Energy Efficiency for Domestic Heating.

Part P says particular  types of household electrical work has to be approved by a previously certified contractor or building inspector. If you want the ability ti certify your own work you must do Part P – Electrical competence Scheme.

YOU ARE NEARLY THERE! (but not quite) …In my next blog post we will look at the last major part and the last courses in plumbing you will need, the Nationally Accredited Certification Scheme for Gas Fitting Operatives (or ACE Certification), what it involves and how to attain it.

Becoming a Plumber

Welcome to part 2 of the guide, if you missed part 1where we covered Apprenticeships and Adult Trainees [click here]

Those Working as Unqualified Plumbers

If you are already some way into your plumbing career but want to get qualified you can skip the certificates mentioned in the previous post and get straight on the City and Guilds Plumbing (6089) NVQ Level 2 and 3. These courses can usually be completed part time or fast track plumbing courses. Its definitely worth thinking about as from 2010 any tradesman working on a building site will have to have a CSCS card to prove they have an NVQ (or SNVQ for scotland) in their trade, valuable info for those wanting to become a plumber.

Fast Track Plumbing Courses

Fast track courses offer you the option to get qualified quickly and some even offer home study. The qualification won’t be industry recognised unless it is City and Guilds accredited; it must also lead to Technical cert 6129 or the NVQ 6089, more on these soon. You can achieve this in 6 months.

The thing the worries me about fast track courses is their fast track nature, is seems almost gimmicky to me. Learning to be a good plumber will take time, would you want an airline pilot flying you across the Atlantic when he has only a fraction of the real world experience of other pilots? I feel that people may be cheating themselves by taking these courses; it’s all very well getting the qualification but is it a recognised qualification? Have you really learned what the claim to teach? Can you absorb information that quickly? Are they worth the hefty price tag? You should ask yourself all these questions.

It is worth noting that opinions are quite polarised on this subject. Some people swear by fast track courses for becoming a plumber, I have heard people say they are ideal for people looking to go the self employed route. They give you the skills you need to get out there earning money as quickly as possible. The availability of this type of course is also much greater that college placements.

None of these courses are very affordable, if you can only afford cheap plumbing courses you will need to compete to enrol at a local college.

I guess my advice would be do your own research and make up your own mind! Personally I am undecided on fast track plumbing courses.

Plumbing Sponsorship and Grants

At the time of writing there seems to be little about in the way of plumbing grants. It’s worth checking with local companies in your area as well as some larger companies. Certain banks may offer start-up loans for plumbers but deals change all the time so it would be pointless to list any. Depending on where you live there may be government grants that cover a percentage of the course fees. Some courses allow you to pay by instalments but watch out for obscene interest charges, banks are always looking to scam people, especially those wanting to become a plumber.

Google and the yellow pages are your best friends for this task. Good luck!