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Gas engineer

Plumbing and gas engineering are two very attractive career paths. Both trades come with relatively lucrative salaries and good workplace flexibility.

If you're interested in becoming a gas engineer, you might have found your way to this blog post by researching about what kind of qualifications you need to get started. So, exactly what qualifications do you need to be a gas engineer?

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The Lifetime Skills Guarantee is an initiative by the Government to fund qualifications in sectors such as engineering, construction and social care to any adult who has not already achieved a qualification at Level 3. There have been consistent warnings about the government’s approach to the Lifetime Skills Guarantee from politicians across the political divide while the bill was passing through the House of Commons.

 

The current offering falls short in three major areas, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability. The Government needs to provide clearer criteria and a broader selection of qualifications for people looking to begin a career in the industry. By voting against amendments to strengthen the Bill, it is clear that encouraging the trade sector is not currently a priority. We need more support for potential students to find out exactly what qualifications they need and how to use them to build a career. Although the lifetime skills initiative provides funding for level 3 qualifications, students still need options for funding their level 1 and 2. Initiatives such as Access' Earn While You Learn, coupled with the prolonged career support offering, provide students with realistic means to create a sustainable career in the industry.

 

During the lockdowns in 2020-2021, the Government's priorities became clearer than ever as they selected the sectors worthy of the term "essential workers". Despite trade acting as a lynchpin to keep the UK economy running throughout this time, tradespeople were given no recognition of their utility. The fallout from this is still being felt across the sector. There is no need to predict the consequences of a lack of action as these consequences are already a reality. A dwindling workforce in trade impacts the infrastructure, facilities, and utilities available to everyone - including the Government itself - for new projects. This, in turn, impacts company productivity and creates a drop in service which would hit the already fragile economic environment. Despite having vowed to help the country "Build Back Better", the Government seems to have forgotten that you can't build anything without a well grounded workforce of tradespeople.

Access Training open day visit from Dyno Plumbing

 

On 8th April, we hosted our Access Training Open Day showcasing our Edenbridge centre with affiliates offering recruitment opportunities and demonstrating new tools. Current students were invited to come along and meet with businesses such as Dyno Plumbing to interview for industry roles and to discuss self employment opportunities with our associates Rezigo and Sort It. Our Earn While You Learn initiative, in partnership with our companies such as CitySite, provides potential students with the ability to get into employment before gaining their qualifications. 

 

Many visitors took advantage of CitySite’s attendance, combining talks on our Earn While You Learn initiative with walkaround tours from our Course Advisors to ensure that they chose the best suited training and employment programme. Products were displayed from providers such as Anton by Crowcon, ViperGas, Condensate Pro, CK Tools, Nerrad, and Uponor. These providers, spanning across all trades, highlighted the importance of starting your career with the right kit, as well as providing explanations on what you need to be successful in the industry.

 

Our next Open Day on the 6th May is a great opportunity for aspiring Gas Engineers and Electricians to visit the centre and speak to industry professionals about potential career paths. Get in touch today to find out more

Tradesman fixing a boiler

When it comes to working as a tradesperson, there are no shortage of career avenues available. One popular option is to become self-employed; there are many benefits to being your own boss, so it's not hard to see why so many people are drawn to this route.

In fact, the opportunity to become self-employed is one of the main reasons why so many people choose to learn a trade in the first place.

If you're interested in training to become a tradesperson, you might be looking to find out a little more about what potential career opportunities will be available to you once you've completed your training. If so, this blog has relevant information for you.

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Gas engineer

Plumbing and gas engineering are two very attractive career paths. Both trades come with relatively lucrative salaries and good workplace flexibility.

If you're interested in becoming a gas engineer, you might have found your way to this blog post by researching about what kind of qualifications you need to get started. So, exactly what qualifications do you need to be a gas engineer?

More...

Electricians vs plumbers

Who earns more, electricians or plumbers?

On average, it would appear that electricians earn slightly more than plumbers, but both earn a significant annual salary. The average annual salary of an electrician in the UK is £36,134. The average annual salary of a plumber in the UK is £33,836.

 

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Gas boilers are an incredibly popular option for home heating. A whopping 78% of UK households use gas to heat their homes, with just the remaining 22% using alternatives like electricity and oil.

However, with modern science making us more and more aware of the adverse effects that gas can have on the environment, money is being poured into finding a plausible alternative.

Enter heat pumps.

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How to become an electrician

To become a qualified electrician in the UK, you will need to complete either a Level 3 Technical & Vocational Qualification or an Electrical NVQ Level 3 Diploma. Depending on your career aspirations, you may also need to work towards a number of other industry-recognised electrical qualifications, such as the ECS Gold Card. A university degree is not required to be an electrician.

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plumber fixing sink

There are a lot of reasons you might call a plumber to your house; maybe you’re planning a large scale bathroom renovation, have a leaky tap that needs fixing, or are looking for an emergency fix to a DIY mishap that has left your bathroom flooded. Either way, you’ll be picking up your phone and searching for “good plumbers near me”.

While there are lots of different scenarios that might require you to call a plumber, have you ever wondered when might be the best time to call? When are plumbers the busiest? Whilst plumbing might not be a profession you’d typically associate with seasonality, research has shown that there actually is a busiest time of year for plumbers.

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Gas engineer in training

Gas-fuelled appliances can be very dangerous if they're not installed correctly. Because of this, gas appliances should ONLY be installed and serviced by competent, qualified gas engineers.

Here in the UK, gas fitters are legally required to join the Gas Safe Register before carrying out any gas work. The Gas Safe Register website makes it easy to...

  • Check whether your gas engineer is registered
  • Report illegal gas work

Gas Safe Register replaced CORGI in 2009, and since then, it has been the sole official gas registration body for the United Kingdom (as well as the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey).

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