To begin with newspapers appear to love discussing what can be earned in Plumbing. Salaries of 30-70k p.a. are often discussed, along with the lack of plumbers within the UK. Is this really a fib - or is this in fact accurate? For an experienced Plumber, this amount of salary is both realistic and feasible. In fact, earnings in excess of 70 - 100k p.a. are achievable - but that is solely for those who work within the self-employed market-place, rather than those who work within established employment routes.
However, working for regular employers often results in the typical hours of Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Approximately wages of 15k and 30k p.a. are reasonable within the UK, along with standard benefits such as holiday pay and sickness allowance. That said it is by working longer than typically 9am to 6pm, Mon to Fri that self employed people achieve higher incomes than those adopting a traditional approach. This is clear when self employed plumbers have to work evenings and weekends, where their domestic clients are working during the day.
Also there is the factor of self-employment and whether it goes with some people more than others. This can include getting to grips with advertising & marketing, getting your own cost-per-hour correct and the need to learn and use good ‘business’ sense. To be fair most self-employed people will have to prepare for additional costs including those relating to legal and accountancy fees as well as those of transport and material usage. While these can mount up, (although they should always be a very small proportion of your earnings,) so can the benefits received. And the downsides are nearly always outweighed by the proceeds!
Initially, by searching for standard work a Student Entrant can get the majority of training especially with working knowledge and experience. Equally the Self Employed Entrant needs to increase their list of qualifications within a reasonable time frame. That noted the main drive of self-employed workers is towards the ‘domestic’ market and not that of the commercial sector. (The majority do at the very least)
With reference to education in Plumbing, there is a likeness needed by each part of the industry in relation to the certification elements. Without a doubt the issue of NVQ’s (SVQ’s in Scotland) raises a constant concern as to the way forward.
To begin with, the Student Entrant appears to rely more heavily on the NVQ structure than the Self Employed Entrant. Therefore many Self Employed Entrants will meet their clients’ needs through the use of a wider range of certifications. In order to be able to meet the needs of the typical household, self-employed persons will need to rapidly gain key domestic-centred qualifications. In a similar way to an apprenticeship the Student Entrant will, once the core learning tools have been learned, enter the workplace and be able to carry on the NVQ element of their study. The Student Entrant can also make financial savings at the start, as it is a cheaper form of study overall. It is often by gaining certifications faster, by being motivated by a more commercial standpoint that the Self Employed Entrant will achieve considerable financial benefits before a Student Entrant.
Clearly this illustrates the need for a careers discussion that covers certifications and study alongside those of financial returns. It is often the issue of 3 years in low-paid apprenticeship work, alongside going back to college that many adults having to look after their family and with say 20kp.a requirements find difficult. Normally, self-employed students to pay for their courses themselves whereas the younger Student Entrants have the majority of their courses paid for them as part of their apprenticeships. For self-employed people these costs are set by the course structure and the level of certification sought and can end up between 3k-10k+.
For the most part the private colleges are the domain of the Self Employed Entrant whereas the Student Entrant is required to study at recognised further-education colleges. Commercially oriented plumbing course companies will provide an established path of training which ultimately leads into recognised skill-sets and qualifications. Of a key opportunity is the ability to train out of hours - evening, part time and self study classes that allows Self Employed Entrants to continue training whilst continuing with their job and maintaining their financial situation. Considering so many options on hand it is clever to gather data from as many sources as one can. Why not book mark this page (CTRL-D) and then you can come back and review your options from the links and adverts we have provided for you.
It is through the use of bonus courses that many plumbing students want to increase their ‘marketability’. Areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical training can offer additional qualifications to Plumbers. Gas training has always been a route for Plumbers to consider, as this forms part of the common domestic and commercial heating system.
With core subjects followed by NVQ’s, Gas Training is a thorough and exact training program. The opportunity for on-going training is for those who trained first as a plumber and are now seeking to add some extra skills to their repertoire. From this idea the mature student works better with a fusion offered by Gas/Plumbing training. By reducing the NVQ parts the Mature Student appears to be able to allow the focus on the core subjects.
From this, the self-employed professional appears to suit the variable training schemes. The opportunity to learn a wider range of perceived skill-sets (whilst earning money from them) becomes the attraction. This adds to their overall package rather than having to rely on sub-contraction of key skills to third parties. Of concern is the reduction in customer’s value as they have to wait for jobs to be completed by others that in turn can lead to a reduction of the earning potential of a job. The more professional a Plumber is within their field the more that they have to offer their relative client base.
It is by working at their broader range of certifications alongside business skills that Self Employed Entrants can achieve much higher income streams that their Student Entrant counterparts. Note: The above information is solely relative to the UK market, industry requirements and policies.
(C) S. Edwards 2009. Pop to CLICK HERE or Plumbing Certifications.
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