Charlie Pie wrote:
> -
>
> Anybody know anything about or have experience ofthe Open Learning
> Centre International Plumbing Courses? Depending on your requirements
> you can achieve C & G Level 2 with the option of taking it forward
> level 2 NVQ. Is it worth it, will it teach me anything I don't know
> already (basic knowledge) and will it compromise Part P for an
> related
> electrical work carried out on any work I do?
> Looking for new direction with a view to leaving current employment.
> Not interested in the tosh written recently in the press re bi
> earning
> potential. Just being forced to retire at 55 and will need t
> continue
> working till I drop dead (according to the government).
> Am I having a laugh thinking about 'retraining' ? Any comments or
> suggestions much appreciated.-
>
> "Open Learning Centre International" certainly sounds like
> down-to-earth
> bunch of seasoned hands-on plumbers ready to share their knowledge and
> experience with the willing learner, doesn't it?
>
> Not.
>
>
>
> Can you do plumbing and d-i-y stuff competently around your house? For
> friends & relations? (Have you followed this group for a while? How d > you
> rate yourself?)
>
> Can/could you: change tap washers, change taps, repair or replace > ball
> valve, plumb in a washing machine, fit an outside tap, drain and remov > a
> radiator, replace a rad valve with a TRV, replace a WC syphon, replac > a WC > suite ...
>
> Can you do soldered copper pipework, compression joints and us
> plastic
> pipework and push-fit?
>
> Can you get floorboards up, make holes large and small in walls, patc > up
> and make good (filling, painting and a little tiling)?
>
> If you can do some or all of these things and learn fairly quickly a > you go
> along you could make some sort of living as a jobbing plumber (an > general
> odd-job person, if you're not fussy about doing only plumbing)
> There's
> plenty of work available for someone who's competent (and knows their
> capabilities) conscientious and house-trained. You'll probably have t > do
> it off your own bat unless you can find a local independent who'll tak > you
> on, and it's hard work just running your own business as
> self-employed
> person, but it beats hanging out at the dole and SS offices :-)
>
> There's more to it than that of course: registering as s-e with th > IR,
> doing your books, advertising and getting work etc; and clueing up on
> building regs, standards and so on, getting tools, materials
> transport.
> You can get further advice on this group. (Maybe material for a sor > of
> uk.non-diy FAQ perhaps?)
>
>
> OTOH if you really want to pay lots of money to someone to Make Yo > Into A
> Plumber(TM) please contact me off-list ;-)
Fair comments all, thanks. Yes I can or have done a lot of the work mentioned. However it's lik learning anything...experience counts. That's why some people ar prepared to part with some serious dosh to condense the experience int a shorter period of time that would otherwise take years. Best place to start is on your own home and use this forum to as questions which is what I have done in the past and very useful th advice has been too. Trouble is as you pick up said experience you come up against problem that if it were any other skill you were trying to learn you'd pa someone to help/teach. I shall continue with bathroom/shower downstairs loo and take it as fa as I can. Cheers
-- Charlie Pie