Originally Posted by John Stumbles

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 any 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 big earning
potential. Just being forced to retire at 55 and will need to 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 a 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 do you
rate yourself?)

Can/could you: change tap washers, change taps, repair or replace a ball
valve, plumb in a washing machine, fit an outside tap, drain and remove a
radiator, replace a rad valve with a TRV, replace a WC syphon, replace a WC
suite ...

Can you do soldered copper pipework, compression joints and use plastic
pipework and push-fit?

Can you get floorboards up, make holes large and small in walls, patch up
and make good (filling, painting and a little tiling)?

If you can do some or all of these things and learn fairly quickly as you go
along you could make some sort of living as a jobbing plumber (and 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 to do
it off your own bat unless you can find a local independent who'll take you
on, and it's hard work just running your own business as a 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 the 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 sort of
uk.non-diy FAQ perhaps?)


OTOH if you really want to pay lots of money to someone to Make You Into A
Plumber(TM) please contact me off-list ;-)