The salaries of Plumbers are often highlighted in the national press. Within the UK, the figures of 30-70k p.a. are typical of Plumbers, mainly down to their low numbers. Is this really a fib – or is this in fact accurate? For the competent and correctly skilled person, this level of salary is realistic. Those taking the more conventional ways to work will find it hard to reach the incomes of 70-100k p.a. that are sometimes achieved by the self-employed.
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 clear when self employed plumbers have to work evenings and weekends, where their domestic clients are working during the day.
There is the also the fact which fits some people more than others and that is self employment. Equally there is a need to manage good ‘business sense’, with items such as advertising & marketing factors as well as correctly assessing your own hourly rate. Likewise self-employed people need to consider the implications of costs relating to materials and transport as well as legal and accountancy fees etc. Generally the payback outstrip those of the costs, to the extent that these charges should always be a small part of the earnings overall. And the downsides are nearly always outweighed by the proceeds!
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. The Self Employed Entrant on the other hand will need to widen their list of plumbing accreditations and certifications as quickly as possible. In fairness it is the ‘domestic’ market rather than the commercial sector that attracts the majority of the self-employed workers in the UK. (Not all, just the majority!)
Considering the education in Plumbing, each path into the industry needs some match in the certification modules. There is considerable divergence though when the issue of NVQ’s (SVQ’s in Scotland) comes into play.
From the beginning the Student Entrant instead of the Self Employed Entrant is much more reliant upon the NVQ requirements. By calling upon a wider range of qualifications Self Employed Entrants will be able to meet their clients’ needs from the start. To satisfy their typical household-based client base many self-employed persons will need to quickly focus on the relative domestic skill sets. 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. As it is cheaper form of study overall then the Student Entrant can make financial savings from the beginning. 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 generate serious hardship, for example, for an adult requiring 20k p.a. (to provide for their family,) to go back to college and spend 3 years in low-paid apprenticeship work. 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+.
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. It is through well known educational paths that many commercial training companies can offer routes into correct qualifications and skill-set requirements. 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. With the high number of colleges it makes sense to gather as much technical data as you can. 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.
By going on added training programs many plumbing students seek to increase their ‘marketability’. It is by training in areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical that Plumbers can gain extra certifications. A popular route for Plumbers involves that of the normal domestic and commercial heating system training program of Gas Training.
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 first and are now looking at extra skills this also offers many options for their on-going development. It could be said that the blend of training covering Plumbing/Gas training is better matched to the mature student. It is by centring on these core elements and dropping the NVQ elements that the Mature Student appears to settle.
It is from this mix of training methods that the self-employed professional appears to benefit. To earn money whilst at the same time as gaining a wider range of perceived skills becomes a desirable prospect. Instead of having to rely upon third parties to complete certain skill-sets, this adds to their commercial viability. 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. In order to offer more value to their relative clients Plumbers need to be more skilled in their job role.
In consideration therefore the Self Employed Entrant has the chance to earn considerably more and at a realistically higher pace than the Student Entrants, to do so they do have to develop both the range of certifications that they hold and consider the business elements as well. Note: This information deals with industry requirements and policies for the UK market alone.
Written by Scott Edwards. Check out Plumber Training Courses or Plumbing Courses.
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