Retrain Gas /heating engineer
Discussion
I have worked in offices for 15 years and it does not really interest me.
I heard a radio ad for 'retrain as a gas heating engineer', after completing a course. It sound interesting and seems you can earn some money from it.
I have had a Google and it seems getting a NVQ in heating and plumbing over 1.5 years and then doing the course will be cheaper at college.
But being in late 30's is it worth it.
I heard a radio ad for 'retrain as a gas heating engineer', after completing a course. It sound interesting and seems you can earn some money from it.
I have had a Google and it seems getting a NVQ in heating and plumbing over 1.5 years and then doing the course will be cheaper at college.
But being in late 30's is it worth it.
I work with a chap who came out of the Army a few years ago, he retrained as a heating engineer. He's struggled to get enough work to go full time and make enough money to live on, so he works as a contractor doing his old Army job. He does 3 or 4 boiler servicings a month to top up his wages and to keep his experience up.
We live in a medium sized market town not far from the county town and there's no shortage of heating engineers around here.
On the flip side I have a good friend at home in Wales who works for Wales gas and he's on good money and barely a weekend goes by when he's not sorting out some old boiler cash in hand.
We live in a medium sized market town not far from the county town and there's no shortage of heating engineers around here.
On the flip side I have a good friend at home in Wales who works for Wales gas and he's on good money and barely a weekend goes by when he's not sorting out some old boiler cash in hand.
The course they are talking about is likely the ACS qualification that you need to be gas safe registered. I believe they have found a loophole to not require you to document your practical experience in the field (which was a requirement when I did it the 'proper' way).
The 'proper' way of getting into it; You'll need to either get a job with a company who will train you under an experienced engineer, or go solo and get in with an experienced engineer. Neither will be easy if you're 30+, I would imagine. I worked full-time with a heating engineer for 3 years before even doing my ACS. You won't get good at the trade by doing a college course and even then it takes a few years to get to grips with it all. Heating is the most multi-skilled trade, needing good skills in plumbing, building, electrics and of course the technical side of gas, combustion etc to make good money working for yourself. It's also very hard and physical a lot of the time and takes a big toll on your body.
If you can make a go of it then the money can be pretty good. But don't make the mistake of thinking it's anything even in the realm of being easy money.
The 'proper' way of getting into it; You'll need to either get a job with a company who will train you under an experienced engineer, or go solo and get in with an experienced engineer. Neither will be easy if you're 30+, I would imagine. I worked full-time with a heating engineer for 3 years before even doing my ACS. You won't get good at the trade by doing a college course and even then it takes a few years to get to grips with it all. Heating is the most multi-skilled trade, needing good skills in plumbing, building, electrics and of course the technical side of gas, combustion etc to make good money working for yourself. It's also very hard and physical a lot of the time and takes a big toll on your body.
If you can make a go of it then the money can be pretty good. But don't make the mistake of thinking it's anything even in the realm of being easy money.
No; Gas Safe is basically a club in which you need the requirements to enter. ACS is the most common form of competency and is really nothing to do with Gas Safe. When I did ACS you had to carry out practical work in the real world and prove it; easy if you're actually working with an engineer day in day out but not so if you're not. I think on these fast track courses they somehow do the practical work in-house to get around it.
I think your problem is finding someone who will take you on. I get at least one young lad a week emailing/ringing me (esp in the summer when they're out of college) asking if i'm looking for someone. If you can get two good years under your belt and then your own gas ticket, sure you could make a good go of it. Bear in mind though, one cock up, be it water or gas, and your finished. Your insurance premium will quadruple overnight and make trading unviable. Of course the easy way is to go work for a company, but the money is nowhere near as good and in my opinion the main perk of the job for me is being my own boss, of which you don't get if you go work for wages with a firm.
I think your problem is finding someone who will take you on. I get at least one young lad a week emailing/ringing me (esp in the summer when they're out of college) asking if i'm looking for someone. If you can get two good years under your belt and then your own gas ticket, sure you could make a good go of it. Bear in mind though, one cock up, be it water or gas, and your finished. Your insurance premium will quadruple overnight and make trading unviable. Of course the easy way is to go work for a company, but the money is nowhere near as good and in my opinion the main perk of the job for me is being my own boss, of which you don't get if you go work for wages with a firm.
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