This week the news that 1 in 10 students are reconsidering going into higher education thanks to uncapped and unaffordable tuition fees has thrown light on vocational choices like plumbing courses. A stunning two thirds of students who are considering going to university would now also consider doing vocational courses, such as plumbing courses, instead!

This shouldn’t really be news, yet people still seem to be shocked by it. Plumbing courses are looking like an increasingly smart option to youngsters thanks to a combination of excellent prospects, unaffordable student loans, high graduate unemployment and a general sense of dissatisfaction with the state of academia in the UK.

Plumbing courses give young people real prospects and the ability to start earning a very good wage, in a very good job, very quickly. The alternative is three years of (sometimes sub-par) teaching, a piece of paper, a lot of debt and no promise of prospects.

It used to be thought that anyone who wanted to get into a good, satisfying and well-paid profession would need a university degree. But, as graduate unemployment starts to look like a real problem, the smart money is now in plumbing courses. The UK has a huge number of highly academically educated youngsters but alarmingly few young people educated in skilled labour. Plumbing courses are now seeking to readdress this balance.

If you are interested in the money and job satisfaction that plumbing courses could set you up for, get in touch with us here at access. Every day new students, young and old, experienced and completely new, sign up for our plumbing courses to start their journey to a brighter future in plumbing! Call our friendly team on 0800 345 7492 now for more information and advice about how to get where you want to go with plumbing courses!

If you are thinking about jacking in your plumbing training it could be the worst thing you do for your career.  The net is closing in on unscrupulous and untrained trades people including plumbers, electricians, general builders and carpenters.  The CITB and the Government are joining forces to push for a greater level of scrutiny when it comes to the levels of workmanship carried out by these and other trades.  Starting with training and qualifications, they are insisting that trades people obtain key qualifications that are recognised in their industry.  Plumbing training has particularly come under fire with rogue traders being punished in the severest way possible. 

In a copy of the Construction Engineer dated 24th June 2011, it was reported how Darryl Sylvester Glyn, 46, was ordered to pay back over 100K to his customers or he would face an additional two years in jail.  He is already spending four years in jail having been prosecuted by Yorkshire County Council Trading Standards. 

Whilst there are many honest and reliable trades people operating in the UK, there are many rogue traders who think nothing of demanding large amounts of money from their customers and doing very little in return.  Jobs are left unfinished, money runs out, more money is demanded, and the cycle continues all at the detriment of the customer.  This has got to stop and training seems to be the key lacking factor when it comes to these dodgy dealings.  If these trades people had to demonstrate their qualifications whether in plumbing training or another trade, they would fall short of the mark and the customer would not choose them for the job in hand.

Established courses in plumbing training, carpentry training and other trades ensure these trades people have the skills and knowledge they need to do a good job and to follow best practices.  The good news is that more and more trades people are stepping up to the mark and ensuring that their training is up to date and that they can prove they are able to carry out high quality work.

Plumbing training is just one direction you can take if you are interested in learning a trade.  You can learn so much through an accredited course and diversify into specialist areas that will make you stand out from the crowd. 

There are many training companies offering outstanding plumbing training these days.  You can take any number of courses to get yourself established in the industry or to further your current knowledge and skills. Browse our range of brilliant plumbing training courses on our website now, or call our helpful team on 0800 345 7492 for more information!

The introduction of vocational lessons for less academic students has been hailed as a very good thing for education. Nowadays school children can be taught horticulture and can undertake training to be a plumber, and much more. Training to be a plumber at a young age is a great way to get experience is a good business and a fulfilling profession, but the recent Wolf Review which monitored vocational training to be a plumber among other courses, found real shortcomings in vocational education.

Vocational Course Problems
The problems that the Wolf Report identified with vocational training to be a plumber at school include a lack of real value. In many cases, vocational courses which were supposed to provide children with training to be a plumber did not prepare their students thoroughly enough for higher education or for a real job.

Training to be a plumber at school is often equivalent to several GCSE but does not provide students with the right level of skill to account for this. This means that, after undergoing training to be a plumber, school leavers often find that there is no job for them and they are woefully under-prepared for further education.

Why Do These Problems Arise?

The key reason that so many courses which provide training to be a plumber to school kids are so useless is that there is a severe lack of regulation. There is no single, dedicated body which controls the standard of training to be a plumber. This means that, while there are many fantastic vocational plumbing courses around, there are equally training courses which underprepare students and do not fulfil the needs of their students.

Get High-Quality Training to Be a Plumber
There are many proposed changes to school training to be a plumber. The Wolf Report suggests that many of the underperforming courses are immediately scrapped. Meanwhile, the report proposes making further education (FE) courses available to vocational secondary school students who want training to be a plumber.

If vocational plumbing courses are scrapped at secondary schools, students may have to wait until their leave school to get training to be a plumber. This may not be so terrible a thing. There are lots of brilliant plumbing training courses out there and adult training is monitored by awarding bodies such as City & Guilds so their quality and standard is assured.

If you are interested in training to be a plumber, whether you are a school leaver or not, you can enrol on our plumbing training courses which can be found UK-wide. Our courses are flexible, City & Guilds accredited and taught by experienced professionals. To learn more about training to be a plumber with Access Training, browse our site or call our team on 0800 345 7492 today.

If you are a keen DIY enthusiast you may be considering enrolling on a plumbing training course, but although there are many plumbing tasks you need specialist plumbing training for, there are lots of DIY plumbing tasks you can deal with without plumbing training! Here is Access’s free plumbing training!

Today we’ll be talking you though some of the basic tenants of DIY plumbing, these are some simple tips to help you keep your home plumbing in shipshape condition, without necessarily hiring a plumber or taking a plumbing training course:

1.    Avoid Frozen Pipes

With cold weather on its way, one of our key plumbing training tips is to watch out for frozen pipes! Frozen pipes can be a major problem despite the fact that they are simple to avoid. If you have external pipes, or pipes which run along external walls (often in cellars and attics). Ensure that these pipes are properly insulated, or, if they are not, use the isolation valve at your water supply to isolate and drain them thoroughly before the cold weather hits and causes problems!

2.    Check your Machine Hoses

Another great plumbing training tip which will help keep your home plumbing running perfectly is to check your machine hoses at least yearly. Machine hoses are the pipes which connect your plumbing to your white goods like washing machines and dishwashers. Give them a good once over, once yearly, to check for wear and tear like holes or drips.

3.    Don’t Be a Soft Touch with Hard Water

Hard water damage can be a challenge even for plumbers with expert plumbing training. That is the reason that one of our top plumbing training tips is to take regular preventative action against hard water. Hard water causes limescale build up so make sure you regularly dose showerheads, taps, washing machines and dishwashers with a limescale remover (or even just vinegar!) to keep your plumbing in good nick.

4.    Don’t Be a Drip

Deal with drips immediately! It may seem daunting if you do not have professional plumbing training but you can deal with some drips yourself.  Once you have located the source of your drip either set about repairing it yourself by replacing the leaking pipe, washer or valve, or contact a plumber with the right plumbing training to do it for you. Tackling the drip immediately will save your plumber time and you money!

5.    Know Your Valves

No matter how much plumbing training you have, one of the most important online plumbing training tips we can give you is to know your valves! If you know where your valves are, and which ones do what, you will be equipped to immediately deal with any plumbing emergencies you may have, even if you don’t have plumbing training. The most important valve to locate is your stopcock. If you know where your stopcock is you can cut your water supply immediately during a plumbing emergency! If you have the time and inclination, go around your house and label each valve so you know which ones to use if something goes wrong.

If this article has gotten you interested in enrolling on a real plumbing training course you can study plumbing training at your own pace from anywhere in the UK using one of our plumbing training options. To find out more about the plumbing training courses Access can offer, browse our informative website or call our team on 0800 345 7492 now!

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