The salaries of Plumbers are often highlighted in the national press. It is this need for trained Plumbers that has led to salaries of 30-70k p.a. being advertised. The question now is – are we being lied to, or is this the truth? Without a doubt, a fully experienced Plumber can command salaries of such levels. So whilst those working in the self-employed role can get incomes of 70-100k p.a., those working in more conventional employment routes often find it hard to achieve this salary.
It is fairly usual to expect working hours of 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday with a reputable employer. Normal remuneration such as holiday pay and sickness allowance, along with wages of between 15k and 30K p.a., are usual from UK companies in this area. By working \’out of hours\’ – typically longer than 9am to 6pm Mon- Fri the self employed person can often achieve a higher wage. This is more noticeable when the self employed plumber chooses to work in the domestic market, as result often requiring many evening and weekend visits to suit their clients.
Then there is the matter of working for yourself, which agrees with some people more than others. By using \’good business sense\’, including getting your own cost per hour correct, items such as advertising and marketing can also be worked out. 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. Although it is expected that these can be relatively small in relation to the earnings overall they can mount up, but then so can the benefits. And the positives virtually always beat the downsides!
From the outset it\’s the double offer of teaching them from experience and covering most of their working needs that Student Entrants are looking for in employment. Alternatively, the Self Employed Entrant needs to quickly establish those certificates that they will rely on in industry. To be fair it is the \’domestic\’ market which appeals to a large number of self-employed plumbers and not necessarily that of the commercial sector. (At least most of them do)
In terms of plumbing education, there appears to be some similarity between the certification modules required by each path into the industry. There is considerable divergence though when the issue of NVQ\’s (SVQ\’s in Scotland) comes into play.
From the outset, it is clear that the Self Employed Entrant does not depend as much upon the NVQ\’s as the Student Entrant. By calling upon a wider range of qualifications Self Employed Entrants will be able to meet their clients\’ needs from the start. Without a doubt the self employed person needs to quickly gain the core domestic- centred qualifications to satisfy their typical household-based clients. It is within the workplace – where the NVQ element can be appraised that many Student Entrants carry on with their apprenticeship after having covered the key fundamentals through a college scheme. As it is cheaper form of study overall then the Student Entrant can make financial savings from the beginning. 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.
It is by covering the study needs along with those of a clear careers discussion that meet the financial rewards. It is often the issue of spending time at college and then having to go back to an apprenticeship for up to 3 years that proves difficult to many adults especially those that have a family to look after. It is by having their courses paid for them that many Student Entrants can submit to the courses, simply put the more mature self-employed students have to pay for their education themselves. 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+.
Student Entrants will in the main study at further-education colleges, the Self Employed student however has the option to consider the increased scope of private commercial colleges. Commercially oriented plumbing course companies will provide an established path of training which ultimately leads into recognised skill-sets and qualifications. In the current climate the ability of Self Employed Entrants to maintain their current financial situation and job, whilst at the same time as training in the evening, part-time or on self study classes remains one of the advantages of this system. With so many training colleges available, it makes sense to gather information from as many sources as possible. To review your options why not book mark this page (CTRL-D) and you can come back and review the links and adverts we have provided for you.
Many plumbing students will increase their \’marketability\’ through the use of further courses. It is by training in areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical that Plumbers can gain extra certifications. As part of the commercial and domestic heating procedures, Gas training continues to be popular with Plumbers.
With core subjects followed by NVQ\’s, Gas Training is a thorough and exact training program. For those who trained as a plumber first and are now looking at extra skills this also offers many options for their on-going development. In review it is often felt that the mature student responds well to the blend of Gas/Plumbing training. The path of focussing on the core subjects and at the same time dropping the NVQ\’s seems to favour the Mature Student.
It is this distinct training hybrid that appears to suit the self-employed professional. To earn money whilst at the same time as gaining a wider range of perceived skills becomes a desirable prospect. This adds to their overall package rather than having to rely on sub-contraction of key skills to third parties. Of equal concern is the lowering of customer value as they have to wait for essentials to be handled by others and the reduction of the overall earning potential that ensues from sub-contraction. The more skilled a plumber is in their job role – the more that they have to offer their client base.
Finally, whilst the Student Entrant breaks into the industry more quickly the Self Employed Entrant has the opportunity for higher potential earnings, but to do so they need to develop a broader range of certifications and a higher level of business skill sets. Note: This information deals with industry requirements and policies for the UK market alone.
(C) 2009 Scott Edwards. Hop over to Plumbing Courses or CLICK HERE.
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