Michael Marcello

To begin with newspapers appear to love discussing what can be earned in Plumbing. Within the UK, the figures of 30-70k p.a. are typical of Plumbers, mainly down to their low numbers. The question now is – are we being lied to, or is this the truth? To be fair, this wage level is reasonable for the correctly qualified and experienced Plumber. Salaries of 70-100k p.a. are achievable, but these appear to be the area of the self-employed Plumbers rather than those who take the more familiar working methods.

However, working for regular employers often results in the typical hours of Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. From UK companies comes the standard reward such as holiday pay and sickness allowance and a potential wage of between 15k and 30k p.a. The self-employed person can generally achieve higher incomes than those available from the traditional approach, but would need to consider working ‘out of hours’ – and probably longer than the typical 9am-6pm Mon-Fri model. This is more common in the domestic market where self employed plumbers often have to work evenings and weekends to suit those clients that work during the week.

There is also the issue of self-employment itself – which definitely suits some people more than it suits 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. Likewise self-employed people need to consider the implications of costs relating to materials and transport as well as legal and accountancy fees etc. These charges should always remain a small proportion of the overall income so that any profits created always outweigh them. And the benefits nearly always far outweigh the downsides!

Firstly, it is the ordinary employer who covers most of the needs and teaching prospects that Student Entrants are interested in. As quickly as possible the Self Employed Entrant needs to increase their list of accreditations that they will rely upon. That noted the main drive of self-employed workers is towards the ‘domestic’ market and not that of the commercial sector. (Well the majority do at least)

With reference to education in Plumbing, there is a likeness needed by each part of the industry in relation to the certification elements. A key debate however comes into play when considering the issue of NVQ’s (SVQ’s in Scotland.)

At first, the Student Entrant does appear to depend much more on the NVQ structure than the Self Employed Entrant. In trying to meet their client’s needs many Self Employed Entrants will employ a wider range of qualifications. 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. Having covered off the key elements of training within the college, the Student Entrant usually then enters the apprenticeship stage within the workplace – where the NVQ element can be assessed. By using this cheaper form of study the Student Entrant can make sound financial savings from the outset. But the Self Employed Entrant will gain certifications faster (motivated by a more commercial viewpoint) and will therefore be achieving considerable financial reward long before the Student Entrant.

This shows the necessity of a clear careers discussion, covering the overall study and certification requirements alongside the required financial return. It would prove extremely difficult for an adult – requiring 20kp.a and having to look after their family – to go back to college and then spend 3 years in low-paid apprenticeship work. It should also be borne in mind that many young Student Entrants have their studies paid for them as part of their overall apprenticeships, whereas the self-employed student generally funds the course themselves. These costs (for self-employed status) can often end up around 3k-10k+, dependent upon the course structure and the level of certification sought.

Self Employed Entrants can consider a wide range of private technical colleges as opposed to the reliance on further-education colleges and that differentiates them from Student Entrants. Plumbing training companies can offer commercial routes in to reputable training paths that cover the necessary qualifications and skill-sets. The ability to train in evenings, part-time or in self study classes allowing people to continue with their existing job and maintaining their current financial situation remains one of the key advantages to Self Employed Entrants. With so many colleges at hand, the key is to secure as many with technical data sources and gather them. Having provided an option for you to come back and review the links and adverts from several sites, why not book mark this page (CTRL-D).

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. A typically popular route for Plumbers is Gas training, especially as this forms part of the usual commercial and domestic heating system.

Gas Training, with subjects followed by a focus on NVQ’s is recognised as an accurate and exact training program. For those who trained as a plumber these schemes offer many options for further development and can clearly seen to add additional skills to the table. It could be said, from that viewpoint, that a hybrid of Plumbing/Gas training would be more suited to the mature student. By reducing the NVQ parts the Mature Student appears to be able to allow the focus on the core subjects.

It is from this particular training program that the self-employed professional gains ground. There is a great empathy for earning money whilst learning a wider range of work skill sets. Instead of having to rely upon third parties to complete certain skill-sets, this adds to their commercial viability. Having to wait for critical phases to be completed by sub-contractors can not only reduce the earning potential of each job but can also negatively affect a customer’s perception of a job value overall. In order to offer more value to their relative clients Plumbers need to be more skilled in their job role.

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: This information refers to the UK industry requirement and their policies alone.

Written by Scott Edwards. Check out Plumbing Certifications or Intensive Plumbing Courses.