Plumbing Qualifications Explained: The delivery of plumbing training courses is no longer the sole ownership of Further Education Colleges. There are now unprecedented levels of privately funded training organisations offering plumbing training and qualifications. The growth in privately funded training providers is quite simply down to personal trends and the huge growth in demand for construction training in general. FE Colleges courses run term-time Sept-July and it's very difficult to find plumbing courses that are not over subscribed. Privately run centres not only capture this 'spill over' but they also offer attractive aspects of their training delivery that FE colleges can't compete with.
Intensive and Fast-Track are two terms in particular that are associated with private training centres as their structure and flexibility means they can offer full time plumbing training programmes that can be completed within a timeframe of 6 - 12 weeks. Although FE Colleges deliver 38 weeks per year of college guided training this usually equates to an attendance ratio of just one full day per week, that's 7 weeks training spread over approx 11 months. Completing a fast-track course is an attractive option for many, particularly for those people changing career or those recently made redundant.
However, the very nature of privately run centres will mean that you pay a premium for this flexibility and only a few private training providers can offer grants or 'free funding opportunities' for such training other than through personal finance agreements or loans. Privately centres can charge anything between £600 for a basic 10-day plumbing training course with no qualifications to £7000 for a (6129) Level 2 Certificate in Plumbing.
What Should You Look For in a Training Provider?
All awarding bodies such as City and Guilds offer guidance on timescales of delivery of their qualifications and these are referred to as GLH (Guided Learning Hours). For example City and Guilds have allocated 495 GLH for the (6129) Level 2 Certificate in Plumbing. Do your maths, 8 hour days = 40 hours per week. 12 weeks full time attendance would enable you to cover the courses Guided Learning Hours, but it's fairly common, and acceptable for a portion of that time to be included as home study which can reduce the course duration by many weeks.
Also make sure the training provider has the awarding body approval to deliver the award.
You Can Check a Centres Approval Here (6129) Level 2 Certificate in Plumbing
Also make sure that the award is relevant to your needs. If you want to be a qualified plumber avoid doing courses that offer qualifications such as: 6217 - 6128 - 6022 - 6032 as the plumbing industry and its employers don't recognise them as plumbing qualifications.
Qualifications - Levels - Numbers - What Do They Mean?
To keep things simple we'll only look at the awards on offer from City and Guilds.
Technical Certificates Levels 1,2,3 - Are training programmes that include both written and practical assessments and is delivered within the confines of a training centre or college.
NVQ 1,2,3 (National Vocational Qualification) - The workplace assessment element of an award that demonstrates the competences achieved in completing technical certificates Levels 2/3 (underpinning knowledge).
Level 1. GCSE D-G grades* Ideal if you’re just starting out or are new to the subject area. This level covers routine tasks and basic knowledge.
6217-08 Multicraft award is not a plumbing qualification but it does include some basic plumbing type assessments such as bending pipe and plumbing in a simulated sink etc. This award is very popular with schools who are increasingly offering programmes to teach vocational awards to 14-19 year olds. The 6217-08 qualifications plumbing related units do not give the student sufficient knowledge to be considered competent in plumbing and will require further training and progression to the 6129-22 is considered essential.
(GLH-300) 6217-08 Level 1 info
Level 2. GCSE D-G grades* Ideal if you’re just starting out or are new to the subject area. This level covers routine tasks and basic knowledge.
6129-22 Level 2 Certificate in Plumbing (Basic) is the plumbing industry recognised Level 2 plumbing qualification. The 6129-22 Technical Certificate is a training centre guided award that provides the student with the underpinning knowledge to progress on to the 6089 NVQ 2 or 6129-33 Level 3.
(GLH-495) A Learners Guide To a Career In Plumbing
Level 3. A-level* Covers more complex work and will help you develop your supervisory skills
6129-33 Level 3 Certificate in Plumbing (Complex) is a progression award from the 6129 Level 2. The Level 3 award focuses on the complex aspects of domestic plumbing such as unvented hot water systems, central heating controls and the servicing and commissioning of gas fired appliances. The 6129 Level 3 award provides the student with the underpinning knowledge to progress on to the 6089 NVQ 3. (GLH 380)
Will You Be Looking For Employment On Completion Of Your Training?
Then read An Employers Guide To Plumbing Qualifications
Plumbing companies generally look to employ operatives who can demonstrate achievement of a (6129) Level 2 Certificate in Plumbing as a minimum, with those who have achieved the 6129 Level 3 or 6089 NVQ 2/3 being considered more desirable for employment.
You May Also Come Across Other Related Qualifications To Those Documented Above:
6128 Heating and ventilating is not recognised as a plumbing qualification. The 6128 qualification/s are for those who are entering the Heating and Ventilating sector. The 6128 award is broken down according to the students chosen discipline: Domestic Heating Service and maintenance Ductwork and Welding. These awards are the recognised National qualifications for this sector only and they also form part of the sector Apprenticeship frameworks.
6022 and 6032 are standalone assessments and do not form part of any technical plumbing certificate and are not considered in any way to be underpinning knowledge that can lead to a 6089 NVQ 2/3. City and Guilds are in the process of phasing out both of these qualifications, however some training centres are still advertising the awards availability.