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Get your NVQ Level 2 Diploma in a matter of weeks!

Tradespeople who carry out work on-site in the UK are required to hold an NVQ Level 2 Diploma for their chosen trade. However, the NVQ qualification is notoriously difficult to achieve; in order to pass, candidates must complete a portfolio of their work, complete with photographs, storyboards, and witness testimonials.
 
Completing a standard NVQ Level 2 course can take many months, making it quite a troublesome hurdle to overcome. Many budding tradesmen and women, particularly those with families and/or full-time jobs, simply don't have time to put in the necessary work. However, there is a way around this problem: fast track NVQ courses from Access Training Academies!
 

Why should you do a fast-track NVQ with Access Training?

Our industry experience allows us to guide learners through the entire NVQ Level 2 process in a matter of weeks, not months. After a brief interview (which allows us to assess your current skill level and plan your NVQ course accordingly), we will help you to gather the requisite evidence, complete your portfolio, and gain that all-important diploma within the shortest possible timeframe.
 
Our NVQ Level 2 courses are designed for people who already have some experience in their chosen field, but would like to gain a qualification so that they can work on-site, or start their own business quickly! If you're a novice looking for training from the ground up, we highly recommend you take a look at our essential courses. All of our essential courses are designed for beginners who have no or limited knowledge of their chosen trade.
 

What fast-track NVQ Level 2 courses do you offer?

Here at Access Training, we offer a number of fast-track NVQ level 2 courses in plastering, plumbing, and carpentry. Contact us now to learn more about them! Whether you're interested in NVQ Level 2 carpentry, NVQ Level 2 plumbing, or NVQ Level 2 plastering, we have a fast-track course to suit you. Take a look at our different fast-track NVQ level 2 courses using the buttons below:
If you're not quite ready for the NVQ assessment just yet, don't worry - we offer a wide range of trade courses for learners of all levels. We even provide live online training, so you can begin mastering your trade from the comfort of your own home! So, if you're ready to start a new career...
 
 
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"As I look back on my life, I realise that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better" - Vala Afshar, July 2020

Smiling face

Has COVID-19 given us a new perspective on the value of work?

The global pandemic has had a huge impact on our working lives. It has forced many of us to consider just how much we value our work and how much we enjoy our current jobs - if we enjoy them at all!

The boundaries between work life and home life have been blurred by the lockdown, and it can be difficult to strike the correct balance. Most types of work, while important, are not as important as feeling the fulfilment of one's family, hobbies and the home itself. This leads to one question:

Do you really enjoy your work?

Many supposedly 'low-skilled' jobs have recently gained an air of heightened importance - perhaps even prestige. At the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown, the UK government recognised cleaners, delivery drivers, retail staff and so on as 'Key Workers' and acknowledged that the country would grind to a halt without their continued efforts.

This 'Key Worker' label means a great deal to many and has generated some well-earned respect for professionals whom we too often forget. But being 'key' does not always mean making a good salary, even though many of these people have recently been working longer hours in extraordinarily stressful circumstances.

And amid all the current chaos, it's easy to forget reports from recent years suggesting that workplace morale is very low in general - for instance, a 2017 Gallup poll reported that 87% of workers in the UK felt disengaged in their job.

Still, with more people working from home lately, we now seem to be collectively appreciating the value of work and recognising that it does play a crucial role in our wellbeing. We can be happy in our work as long as the job is enjoyable, rewarding and reasonably secure.

What job will make you happiest?

The economic slump that will surely follow this pandemic is likely to see many workers looking for new roles that offer the right amount of job security and longevity. A lot of people are already seeking a new purpose in life; finding the 'right' career is paramount for one's personal identity, but happiness is the key factor for most of us.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important is to have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs, 2005

So what's the secret to professional happiness? A survey commissioned back in 2018 by Boundless found that Britain's plumbers are the happiest professionals in the country, with 55% of plumbers saying they were 'very happy' in life.

The survey was designed to uncover who is happy, both at home and at work, and what makes them feel good about themselves and their lives. Plumbers ranked highly in the survey for quality of sleep and physical activity. Not a single plumber said they were 'unhappy' in their job. Compare this to those who work in customer service, and to lawyers, police officers and chefs, all of whom were reported as being unhappy in their work.

Electricians, at 50%, were also one of the happiest groups, with tradespeople in general being way ahead in their happiness index. Builders were also high up on the list.

The Boundless job happiness index

Very happy in life:

  1. Plumbers (55%)
  2. Builders (38%)
  3. Marketing (36%)
  4. Taxi & Lorry Drivers (32%)
  5. Bankers (32%)
  6. Doctors (31%)

[Source]

Browse Plumbing Courses   Browse Electrical Courses

Photo from Pexels

Plumbing tools

So you've decided that you would like to be a plumber, you've taken a quick look at the courses that we have to offer, and you've decided on the course that's most suited to you and the level of qualification you think you may require. But let us take a moment and explain to you in more detail what qualifications you need to fulfil your ambition and become a fully qualified plumber.

The minimum qualification that you need to become a plumber is the City & Guilds 6035 Level 2 Diploma in Domestic Plumbing. This qualification allows you carry out various domestic jobs, such as fixing taps, unclogging pipes, etc. If you complete our Essential Plumbing Course then you will gain this qualification. The City & Guilds 6035 is ideal if you are just entering the plumbing industry and would like to work alongside or become a domestic plumber.

If you would like to work on a large building site, or for a larger plumbing firm (e.g. British Gas or AA), you will first need to earn your NVQ Level 2. If you have no prior experience in the plumbing industry, don’t worry. Here at Access Training, we have developed two courses that are designed specifically for the absolute beginner - we'll train you up to become a fully qualified plumber in next to no time!

 

Professional Plumbing Course

Our Professional Plumbing Course will help you gain 4 industry-recognised qualifications:

  • City & Guilds 6035 Level 2 Plumbing
  • City & Guilds 6189-57 Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Plumbing and Heating
  • Unvented Hot Water Storage Systems Certificate
  • WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) Certificate

These qualifications will allow you to enter the plumbing industry with a varied skill set, allowing you take on a variety of work. In addition to completing jobs for domestic clients, you will also be qualified to work on larger sites and for large plumbing companies, such as British Gas.

View Professional Course >

 

Premier Plumbing Course

Our Premier Plumbing Course is Access Training's most comprehensive course for aspiring plumbers. If you wish to become a fully-qualified plumber, we advise you to enrol in this course.

If you complete this course, you will not only become a skilled plumber, you will also become a qualified gas engineer. Our Premier course includes the following qualifications:

  • City & Guilds 6035 Level 2 Plumbing
  • City & Guilds 6189-57 Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Plumbing and Heating
  • Unvented Hot Water Storage Systems Certificate
  • WRAS Certificate
  • Part P Domestic Electrical Installer
  • ACS Gas Certificate

View Premier Course >

 

Entering the plumbing industry with these qualifications will set you apart from the competition, either in a job interview or if you decide to embark on a career as a self-employed plumber.

If you are already working as a plumber (maybe you have taken our Essential Plumbing Course or completed some work experience with an employer) then you can also undertake you NVQ Level 2 through Access Training.

If you are interested in becoming a fully qualified plumber, get in touch now to discuss your options with Access Training.

View All Plumbing Courses >

Online learning now available - click here to learn more!

 

The Essential Electrical Course is Access Training's basic electrical training programme. No experience is required to enrol, and so it's the perfect entry point for novices who want to learn the trade from scratch and work towards turning professional.

Interested? Here's everything you need to know about our Essential Electrical Course at a glance:

Who can take this course?

Anyone aged 18 or over. People of all races, genders and backgrounds are welcome, and as mentioned above, no prior electrical experience is necessary - our expert tutors will teach you everything from the absolute basics onward!

What will I learn?

Candidates who enrol on this course will cover a wide variety of topics, including:
  • Building regulations
  • Electrical safety
  • Earthing and bonding
  • Installing/replacing/checking components
The course has been designed to give candidates a thorough knowledge of domestic electrical work whilst covering both technical theory and practical electrician skills.

What qualifications will I earn?

Successful completion of the Essential Electrical Course will earn you two qualifications: the City & Guilds 17th Edition Electrical Regulations certificate, and the Part P Domestic Installer certificate. These two qualifications are a minimum requirement for all domestic electricians.

If you're ready to take the first step towards learning a new trade and becoming a domestic electrician, please click here or call 0800 345 7492 to enquire about our Essential Electrical Course.
 
DIY is something of a sticky situation for both tradespeople and homeowners, but when it comes to electrical safety, mistakes or mistrust from either party could prove to be fatal. According to a news article published by Electrical Times a few days ago, electricians are the trade most often called out to rescue DIY jobs gone wrong, and half of severe electrical shocks are caused by failed or misguided DIY attempts. No puns about 'shocking statistics' here, but it is worrying to see such a widespread disregard and ignorance of electrical safety. We've all heard the warnings about not sticking utensils into toasters, but it seems that on the whole, the average citizen and even some professionals are not giving electrical safety the attention it deserves.
 
According to Electrical Times and the charity Electrical Safety First, young people have become more at risk due to the growing popularity of online tutorials, which can sometimes cause inexperienced individuals to carry out work that they are unfit to complete. Hand in hand with the skills crisis we're seeing in the professional sector, people under 35 are losing the ability to perform what would have once been described as 'basic skills', and are picking up their knowledge from untrustworthy resources on the web. Electrical Safety First has demonstrated the risks of such overly-ambitious and dangerous undertakings as part of their 'Don't Die for DIY' campaign, in a series of videos which can be viewed here. This demonstrates the risks that come from following unregulated advice, and the threat posed by undertaking electrical work without the proper training or experience. 
 
While it is possible to understand why homeowners would want to carry out electrical jobs themselves, with money being tight in many households and 'rouge traders' becoming a growing concern due to media exposure, the fact remains that these kind of undertakings often pose serious health and safety risks to everyone involved. In terms of the average homeowner, there needs to be an improved awareness of the knowledge and experience needed to carry out these dangerous projects, and in relation to the professional sector, there has to be a greater emphasis placed on keeping your skills up to date, and continuing to abide by the rules set out by regulatory bodies. 
 
If You're a DIY Enthusiast:
 
  • Don't be swayed by the financial allure of saving money by performing a DIY job! If things go wrong, which they very often do, you will eventually end up spending money on calling out an electrician to put things right. This could even cost you more than the original fee due to factors such as emergency call-out rates, and the increased attention required to rectify a botched job.
  • Know the risks - Qualified electricians have spent a long time training and gaining experience in their field; something which can't simply be supplemented with 'quick fix' options. Saving some money is not worth putting yourself and others at risk of receiving a fatal injury, so keep that in mind before starting your job.
  • Train Properly - If you are serious about performing DIY jobs yourself, then why not invest in your abilities and take one of our electrician courses? While our courses are intended to help people make electrical work their career, we can tailor our programmes to suit any individual's needs, making them more than suitable for someone who simply wants to undertake domestic work in their own home. Most importantly, you'll be taught by professional, accredited teaching staff with years of experience.
If You're a Professional:
  • In order to build a bond of trust with your clients, it is important that you always strive to provide them with an honest and courteous service. If people feel that they are being overcharged or inconvenienced in any way, it is highly unlikely that they will choose to hire your services (or those of another professional for that matter) in the future. Make sure that you display professionalism at all times, to instil confidence in your services and those of the sector as a whole.
  • Don't become overly confident, careless or take things for granted! As humans, our brains are constantly looking for ways to make things easier for ourselves, but when it comes to electrical safety and performing dangerous work at a professional level, this is a risk that simply cannot be taken. This goes for business owners and managers as well, who should always ensure that their employees are fully trained, and are following health and safety guidelines.
  • As well as new career courses, we also provide electrician courses for experienced professionals who need to refresh their skills or add additional knowledge to their portfolio. From Portable Appliance Testing to Combined Inspection and Testing, we have a range of courses to expand your professional knowledge and improve your ability to work safely.
For more information about any of our courses, get in touch with us today!
 
 

 

Learning how to fit a bathroom is a vitally useful skill in the trade industry, and is equally as useful to people of a non-professional background. While sourcing the materials is easy, it takes knowledge and skill to achieve a desirable finish, regardless of experience in similar fields and examples from online tutorials.

At Access Training, we provide a comprehensive Bathroom Fitting Course and a combined Bathroom and Kitchen Fitting Course, which both take your through the many aspects of work involved in completing a successful bathroom renovation. From producing pipework, to installing toilets, baths and basins, we will guide you through the process of a achieving your new portfolio of skills, allowing you to achieve a City and Guilds certificate in recognition of your achievement. This will allow you to complete bathroom fitting work unsupervised, and will also allow you to progress onto more advanced units if desired. 

Here are some of the people who may benefit from learning how to fit a bathroom:

Property Developers 
If you're just embarking on a future career in property development, or are looking to keep the costs of labour down in current projects, it could be immensely useful for you to learn how to install bathroom fittings without the need for additional help. 
While you may possess some previous skills in home improvement, you may not have the knowledge or practical experience required to fit a new bathroom successfully, and this lack of experience could result in a less-than-perfect finish. Completing our course will allow you to fit bathrooms that you can be proud of, adding to the value of the property and lending an air of professionalism to the job.

Home Owners 
If you're looking to improve your own home without the need to hire labourers to complete the job, then it could be equally as useful for you to familiarize yourself with this trade. If you choose the combined course, you will not only learn how to fit a bathroom, but will also gain kitchen installation skills; both of which will prove to be incredibly useful in carrying out home improvement projects for years to come.

Job Seekers 
Home improvement tradespeople are always in high demand, to undertake work with larger companies as well as independently. If you're looking to kick-start a brand new career that will allow you to work flexibly and according to your own contractual preferences, then this could be a great place to start, giving you the opportunity to start earning straight away, or progress onto more advanced courses. 

For more information about this or any other of our courses, get in touch with us today!

If you're interested in this course but are unsure if it's exactly what you're looking for, you may wish to consider the following similar/complimentary courses:

 

(Image via bradleypjohnson on Flickr)

The UK’s media channels are often rife with horror stories of cowboy tradespeople. People watching programmes like “cowboy builders from hell” on channel 5 or “watchdog” on BBC1 will certainly develop a negative image of the trades men and women in the UK. In fact a staggering 60% of people said that it is fair to label tradespeople as “cowboys” or “rogue traders” and 20% of people said that they’re afraid of being ripped off when they need work done.

Follow these simple steps to avoid being labelled as a rogue trader:

Build relationships with your clients: Take care of little jobs free of charge. This will help increase customer loyalty. When someone is happy with your work, they are more likely to recommend you to their friends. A survey conducted by imperial finance revealed that 37% of people feel that having a relationship with their trades person is important, and 14% of people were referred to their trades person by a friend or family member.

Clean up after yourself: This might seem obvious but it is often overlooked by tradespeople. If you are working on a leaking sink and you spill water on the floor – make sure you mop it up. If you have had to take things out of cupboards to access pipework, make sure you put it all back before you leave.

Make yourself as easy to contact as possible: leave people with a copy of your flyer, business card, or a fridge magnet with your telephone number clearly printed on them, remember to take the visually impaired into consideration. Make sure that you always have your mobile switched on, if you can’t take the call, make sure you call them back at your earliest convenience.

Keep in contact with your clients: after you have completed the work, call the client back, ask them if they are happy with the work – or if they have ran into any complications. 55% customers leave because they have had no contact from you and are indifferent. After Job Service is often more important than the job itself, this is where you can really start to build relationships with your clients and go above and beyond your call of duty.  Loyal customers spend on average 33% more than people who are non-loyal and can refer up to 107% more customers than non-loyal customers.

Make it easy for people to get references:  set up social media sites, and encourage people to review your business online – this is effective because people buy from people if someone has a something bad to say about your business then people are less likely to hire you to do the work. Make sure you leave them with nothing bad to say! Set up a website to showcase your qualifications, and show people that you really are an expert in your field. This will give people confidence in your ability as a trades person.

Make sure you are fully trained for the job: again it might seem like an obvious point, but if you are not correctly trained for the work don’t take it on. Leaving the work half way through or doing a bad job can damage your reputation.

You can’t start a career as a skilled trades person until you have received expert training. No matter what career you are considering Access Training can help. We offer courses for beginners looking to learn a new trade through to more experienced tradespeople who are looking to expand their service offering.

To find out more about the courses we offer at our state-of-the-art training centres you can contact us by calling (Freephone) 0800 345 7492 or by filling out the enquiry form here.


The first quarter of 2016 looks as if it will prove to be an exceptionally busy period for the UK's tradesmen and women. If you work in the construction industry, you may already have noticed a surge in demand since the start of the year, and there's every reason to believe that the need for competent, professional tradespeople will remain high for the forseeable future.

So why are tradespeople run off their feet at the moment?
  • Flood damage. If you switched on the TV over Christmas, you're probably aware of the flooding that affected certain parts of the UK recently. While the flood waters have now receded (at time of writing, no severe flood warnings are in place), people are still dealing with the aftermath; the floods caused a lot of damage, and the necessary repairs will reportedly cost billions of pounds. According to simplybusiness.co.uk, tradespeople from "right across the board" can expect "a busy first quarter", with homes throughout the UK requiring all sorts of different repairs. Structural damage, ruined electrical systems, rooms ravaged by flood waters...all of these things will need to be put right by experienced professionals.

  • Cold weather. Even in years without flooding, winter tends to be an especially busy time of year for the average tradesperson. Plumbers are kept particularly busy during the colder months, with low temperatures leading to burst pipes and other problems. Gas engineers are also in high demand - the weather has been abnormally cold of late, which means that Britain's boilers are working overtime right now!

  • A shortage of competent tradespeople. As we've mentioned previously, Britain is currently battling a major skills shortage - there simply aren't enough qualified tradespeople to go around. Supply is falling desperately short of demand, and this problem will only be exacerbated by the cold weather and the widespread flood damage.
Demand for qualified tradespeople is higher than ever right now; wages have skyrocketed, and many workers are actually turning jobs down because their schedules are so full. While this could be a big problem for Britain, it does mean that now is a great time to learn a trade and turn professional - whether you choose to become a plumber, a bricklayer, an electrician, or something else again, you're unlikely to have any problems finding work!

Would you like to retrain and become a professional tradesperson? If so, please contact Access Training Academies today - we'll help you to book your course and gain the qualifications you need to succeed!

Access Training Academies

Get your NVQ Level 2 Diploma in a matter of weeks!

Tradespeople who carry out work on-site in the UK are required to hold an NVQ Level 2 Diploma for their chosen trade. However, the NVQ qualification is notoriously difficult to achieve; in order to pass, candidates must complete a portfolio of their work, complete with photographs, storyboards, and witness testimonials.
 
Completing a standard NVQ Level 2 course can take many months, making it quite a troublesome hurdle to overcome. Many budding tradesmen and women, particularly those with families and/or full-time jobs, simply don't have time to put in the necessary work. However, there is a way around this problem: fast track NVQ courses from Access Training Academies!
 

Why should you do a fast-track NVQ with Access Training?

Our industry experience allows us to guide learners through the entire NVQ Level 2 process in a matter of weeks, not months. After a brief interview (which allows us to assess your current skill level and plan your NVQ course accordingly), we will help you to gather the requisite evidence, complete your portfolio, and gain that all-important diploma within the shortest possible timeframe.
 
Our NVQ Level 2 courses are designed for people who already have some experience in their chosen field, but would like to gain a qualification so that they can work on-site, or start their own business quickly! If you're a novice looking for training from the ground up, we highly recommend you take a look at our essential courses. All of our essential courses are designed for beginners who have no or limited knowledge of their chosen trade.
 

What fast-track NVQ Level 2 courses do you offer?

Here at Access Training, we offer a number of fast-track NVQ level 2 courses in plastering, plumbing, and carpentry. Contact us now to learn more about them! Whether you're interested in NVQ Level 2 carpentry, NVQ Level 2 plumbing, or NVQ Level 2 plastering, we have a fast-track course to suit you. Take a look at our different fast-track NVQ level 2 courses using the buttons below:
If you're not quite ready for the NVQ assessment just yet, don't worry - we offer a wide range of trade courses for learners of all levels. We even provide live online training, so you can begin mastering your trade from the comfort of your own home! So, if you're ready to start a new career...
 
 
electrical services

In an age where we order food, meet our partners and find local services all via the convenience mobile apps, it's hardly surprising that people are already exploring the ways in which these innovations can be used to benefit the home services industry. 

US Electrical entrepreneur Sean Murphy is doing just that, having developed and app that aims to connect home-owners with service providers, such as plumbers and electricians. Much like the highly popular taxi hailing service Uber, the app would allow people in need of services to find local professionals, who would then contact them to discuss the job. 

Super Handy (formerly Super) is still in the very early stages, with only around 400 users and 500 professionals using it so far, however, it is still very interesting to consider how this or similar apps could affect the way the industry operates in the future. Not only could this mean a greater demand for services, thanks to the ease and simplicity of contacting a trades person and setting up the job, but it could also lead to an 'instant feedback', review-based approach to hiring a professional. 

Although Murphy himself admits that when he set up his family electrical business, much of the trade he gained was through word-of-mouth, apps like his could revolutionize our approach to seeking out and employing the services of industry workers. While he admits that the process is far from being streamlined yet, the rapid contact and review method of similar apps is something that could, if well-executed, hugely benefit both well-established businesses and new trades people.

While technology is often criticised for robbing jobs as opposed to creating them, evidence often shows that technology does more to create new opportunities that it does to reduce them. It is clear that the door to success is open to almost anyone who is willing to take advantage of the opportunities given to them, whether this means using your professional knowledge to start your own business, or simply having enough confidence in your abilities to promote yourself online. 

Whether you have ambitions to start your own business, or simply want to ensure that you have the best training possible to secure positive feedback in an increasingly demanding society, then why not consider one of our fantastic training courses? Like Murphy, you could train to become an electrician, with a view to starting your own business, or simply take up one of the many much-needed skilled trades that are hugely in-demand, particularly in the current climate.

For more information about our courses and changing your career, feel free to get in touch today, or follow us on Twitter for more industry news and updates about Access Training.

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