Posts Tagged ‘advice’
No one has to read a study or a report to know that there are a lot of overweight or obese people in the USA and the UK. You can blame this on the food being sold or a lack of understanding, but the real bottom line is that you are the one who is putting that stuff into your mouth.
Most people do not think about it, but everyone has a choice whether to eat decent food or not. If you are radically overweight, then you chose to allow yourself to get yourself into that state. No one else, you!
Nevertheless, there is always a way out and it is never too late. There are thousands of weight loss programs, so you should be able to find one that suits you. I made that sound easy and it should be, but people still have trouble choosing one.
My advice is to read the weight loss advert aloud to yourself or a friend. Does it sound like BS? Then it probably is. Dump it. The bottom line is that you can only lose weight by expending more energy than you consume. Having said that there are a couple of ways of achieving that.
The two basic methods are either counting calories or counting carbohydrates, that is Weight Watchers or Atkins. Start by going to their web sites and reading about their philosophies. Choose the one that suits you and stick to it.
One note that I would like to stress here for teens is that at your time of life your body is going through a radical change. You are metamorphosing from a child to an adult and your body is filling up with hormones, you only had a little of before.
Let the change finish, before you start worrying too much. You were a bug, now you are a chrysalis and soon you will be a butterfly. Just wait and your body time to sort itself out.
There really is not much you can do to stop what your body has to do. Spots mean that you have poisons in you and your body wants to get rid of them. Help it by not putting any more junk into it. Keep your skin clean and make sure that everything that touches your skin is clean too. Hands, hair, pillow cases, et cetera.
Exercise! Now is the time to embed an exercise routine into your way of life. Exercise raises your rate of metabolism which helps you burn calories more quickly. If you can burn calories quickly, then you can allow yourself more treats.
The other point about exercise is that if you do not establish a discipline for exercise when you are young, then you will find it harder when you have your next bodily change in your forties or fifties.
The bottom line is not to worry too much about what you look like now, you are a chrysalis. Help your body out by eating healthily and take up a sport you enjoy and stick to it.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with lose weight fast and safe. If you have an interest in losing weight, too, please go over to our website now at Why Can’t I Lose Weight?
Without a shadow of a doubt, the most common New Year’s resolution in the West is to lose weight. However, it is also the first New Year’s resolution most apt to be broken! Losing weight is not difficult in theory, but practice is oh, so different. This is because it involves lifestyle changes.
Our bodies change as we get older and usually our level of activity decreases too. Maybe, we get an office job with a promotion, whereas we used to work ‘in the field’. But people in general, do not regulate their diet to match their variation in circumstances. We sit behind our desks or in retirement and think we can still eat and drink like we did twenty years ago. Big mistake!
Luckily, there are dozens of diets available to help us attain our weight loss goals. There are the traditional calorie counting diets, as advocated by Weight Watchers; there are the ‘new era’ diets like Atkins, which have us counting carbohydrates and there are no end of fad diets which are frankly not worth wasting time talking about.
The choice of which diet you want to follow is all yours, of course, but it is well worth exploring the main kinds of diet to see which one will agree with you. Then you must determine whether you will need the help and encouragement of a weekly visit to a club or not, or whether you can get that camaraderie from an online club of slimmers, where you talk to fellow slimmers in the club forum online.
It is also worth fixing in your mind, why you want to diet. Is it to look better? Or to feel more comfortable in yourself? Or is it for health reasons? Or all three? Have a think about your reasons and let them motivate you. Whenever, you feel like packing it all in, remember your motivation. Get a book and journal your progress, but first write your motivation in bold capitals on the front page or cover. Keep it in front of you and read it out loud to yourself every day.
Consult some of the slimming sites online and work out a few key numbers like the typical weight people are for your height, sex and body type and your BMI or body mass index. Write these figures on the first page of your book too and use them as the eventual goals.
You could create a graph and plot your weekly weight to see how you are doing. Set realistic goals and targets. You can get loads of free information from the Weight Watchers and Atkins websites or / and go to see your doctor for advice and leaflets.
Aim to shed something like 10-20 pounds in the first month and eight to ten per month after that. Go slowly and aim to go slowly, because then you will hit your targets and you won’t feel like giving up. When you get within five to ten pounds of your target weight, assuming that you have lost a lot of weight, throttle back a little and allow yourself a little more freedom. Drop your target to one pound a week, so that you will get a feel for ‘eating normally’.
The dreaded exercise; you have to face it, you will have to do more exercise, but two times thirty minute walks a day is ordinarily enough. You could swim once a week too or get an exercise machine, if you are tied to the house by family.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with how to lose weight online. If you have an interest in losing weight too, please go over to our website now at Why Can’t I Lose Weight? Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service
Due to our busy lives we sometimes forget to plan healthy, nutritious meals. As a result of this, we end up piling on too much weight. Some people in many countries around the world are now becoming more health conscious and they are always on the look out for good diets that will help them to reach their ideal weight. Many of us who would definitely benefit from a free low carb diet rather than just gaining more and more weight.
For the extremely busy person with no time to go to gyms or health spas, having access to a free low carb diet and the information that will make it work is a great benefit. Normally, we have to join a slimming club in order to gain the maximum benefits of slimming, but the Internet has a vast availability of free low carb diet links that you can look at in order to slim down.
As with any diet or exercise regimen that you choose to start on, you ought to get your doctor’s approval on whether the low carb diet is healthy for the lifestyle that you lead. When you do start on a free low carb diet you should check out which type of low carb diet is going to provide you the results that you want. There is also the fact that you ought to be able to maintain this free low carb diet once you have reached your goal weight.
With all of the low carb diets doing the rounds, there are loads of choices that you can look into. For the busy person, who needs a quick boost or a breakfast high, there are low carb products available that fill this niche. There are snacks, nutritious shakes and carb counters that will assist you tally the amount of carbs your food has.
You can find lots of fantastic low carb recipes to try out on any of the free low carb diet links that you will find. These low carb recipes are delicious-looking and they taste great as well. In addition to the recipes for everything from breakfast to snacks to dinner and appetizers, you will also be able to plan your weekly free low carb diet meal so that shopping is simple.
Because there are so many different kinds of free low carb diet plans available, you might want to take your time in choosing a good one. See if you can discover a low carb diet that is sensible and works with your lifestyle.
Having access to many low carb diet recipes is a benefit for the busy person. With all of these great benefits to be found you might not even realize that you’re supposed to be on a free low carb diet!
Do you need to lose those excess pounds quickly? Well, take a free look at Atkins Free Low Carb Diet, by visiting our resource called The Atkins Diet Plan Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service
One of the most common, and surprising effects of following the Atkins diet is appetite suppression. A lot of the followers of the regimen state that the between meal hunger pangs they used to experience just fade away and very quickly too. This factor makes it easier to remain on the diet and continue losing weight. While other diets leave their followers starving between meals, the Atkins diet offers relief from continuous hunger. The Atkins diet, with its specific recommendation of foods and ingredients, has powerful appetite suppressing effects.
The first key factor is the quantity of protein in the Atkins diet. Protein, much more so than carbohydrates, has the capability to satiate hunger pangs. If you have ever eaten a carbohydrate heavy meal and then felt hungry again a few hours later, you already know that carbohydrates do not have much lasting effect as a hunger satisfier. Protein, on the other hand, when it is combined with a small amount of healthy fats, can keep you feeling full for much longer periods of time.
One of the most sustained appetite suppressing foods on the Atkins diet is the simple egg. Eggs are a great form of quick and easy protein. A recent study revealed that having eggs for breakfast would actually keep hunger pangs at bay throughout the remainder of the day. The research concerned two groups of women. One group ate only eggs for breakfast and the other had a breakfast of bread and cream cheese.
The calorie count for both breakfasts was precisely the same. The participants kept track of what they ate the rest of the day and answered questions about their levels of hunger and satisfaction throughout the day. The results of the study showed that the women who ate the eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied throughout the entire day and they ate less at each meal than the women who were in the bread group.
Eggs contain about 6 grammes of protein each, which helps to even out blood sugar and produces a feeling of satisfaction. Both of these factors help to curb cravings. Egg yolks also contain lutein and xenazanthin. These nutrients have been shown to have amazing effects on eye health. So it’s important to eat the whole egg, and not just the white. Eggs contain choline which is important for maintaining brain function and memory. These nutrients are just an added benefit to the appetite suppressant qualities.
Broccoli and cauliflower, two of the most recommended vegetables on the Atkins programme, also have appetite-suppressant effects. These vegetables are very bulky and they help make your stomach feel full. When your stomach feels full, it will actually create a chemical signal in your body. Your body will reduce its call for food because it believes that your stomach is full of high calorie foods. This occurs regardless of what is actually in your stomach. You can achieve the same results with water and psyllium husk fibre. Both broccoli and cauliflower provide bulk in your diet and are essential vegetables for the Atkins diet.
The Atkins diet focuses on eating small, protein packed meals a few times per day. This will help maintain your blood sugar level in a stabilized state and avoid carbohydrate-induced cravings. With high carbohydrate diets, you are riding a roller-coaster of carbohydrate highs. After you have eaten, you feel fantastic and full. Then after a few hours, you come crashing down and are hungrier than you were previous to eating the carbohydrates. This cycle continues ad infinitum and, over time, you will eat more and more and eventually gain weight.
The protein, fat and vegetable meals of the Atkins diet put your blood sugar back in balance. They provide just enough of each type of food, with a proper amount of carbohydrates (from the vegetables). The vegetables provide quick carbohydrate energy, and the protein gives the meal its staying power. This combination helps suppress your appetite throughout the day.
The Atkins diet is actually a craving control diet that helps suppress your appetite. If you’ve had a problem with carbohydrate cravings before, this new way of eating will help regulate those desires. The more you eat on the plan, the better your cravings will be controlled and the easier it will be to follow the diet. Really, the longer you follow the plan, the more it works and the easier following the diet gets.
If you would like to read a personal experience of the Atkins diet, please visit Appetite Suppression of if you want to read a lot more about the The Atkins Diet click the blue link.
What is the Atkins diet and what will you need to give up in order to achieve the results you’ve seen other people get? You hate your size twelve, and you desperately want to come down to the size six that you once were, although you’ll settle for a size eight, if you have to. It doesn’t really matter as long you’re nowhere near your present size twelve!
You’ll need to begin with a working knowledge of what the Atkins diet is all about and what it might entail. However, if you don’t want to get bogged down in detail, you could always just try out an Atkins diet free plan, which might help you to get an understanding of how Atkins dieting works.
There’s no one place I can say for you to get an Atkins diet free plan of course, but I’ve found that the Internet is a great place for you to find out just about anything and everything you need to learn. Start by turning on your computer, it’s truly amazing how many snotty looks I get when I state this blindingly obvious fact! In fact, you probably did the same just now!
So, just search the Internet for an Atkins diet free plan, you’ll be surprised at the amount of other free plans that you’ll come up with as well. And if you’re not dead set on going the Atkins diet way, then you might just try out any one of the other free plans. As it implies, it won’t cost you a penny more than the time spent on the Internet.
So, what can you expect to get from an Atkins diet free plan? To start with, you can pinpoint which types of foods you can eat and which kind of foods you can’t eat. If you’re thinking of doing the Atkins diet then in the induction phase alone, there are some things that you’ll have to sacrifice in order to maintain your diet.
On that list of food, which you may eat and stay on your Atkins diet free plan, you’ll find that you can eat cream, cheese and butter as long as you stay within your moderate carbohydrate allowance per day, but out go the fruits, the breads, the pastas and the pizzas. Basically anything that tastes great, you might think.
However, it is not completely true, as you’ll see as you look at the Atkins diet plan recipes which may or may not come with your Atkins diet free plan. There are quite a few great tasting foods which you can eat and although you might not not it yet they’ll incorporate many of your favourite foods, just not everything high in carbs.
As far as drinks go, the same principles remain true as in the rest of the Atkins diet free plan. That means, you must avoid sugared drinks or sodas like Coke, Ovaltine and sugared tea or coffee. Furthermore, you have to be careful with coffee, because it can be more addictive while on the Atkins diet for some people.
Likewise, caution is required with alcohol. Some types, like lager, cider or sherry contain too much sugar, while others, like Guinness or whisky seem to be OK in moderation. However, you should always check with your Atkins diet free plan before deciding what to drink.
Do you want to lose that excess weight quickly? Well, take a free look at Atkins Diet Free Plan, by going to our resource called The Atkins Diet Plan Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.
The CCNA is where it all starts for Cisco training. This teaches you how to operate on the maintenance and installation of network switches and routers. The internet is made up of many routers, and many large organisations that have a number of branches use them to allow their networks of computers to communicate.
You may end up employed by an internet service provider or a large commercial venture which is spread out geographically but still wants internal communication. Both types of jobs command good salaries.
We’d recommend a specially designed course that covers everything you need to know in advance of getting going on the Cisco CCNA.
A question; why should we consider qualifications from the commercial sector and not more traditional academic qualifications taught at schools and Further Education colleges?
With university education costs spiralling out of control, together with the industry’s general opinion that key company training is often far more commercially relevant, we have seen a great increase in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA accredited training programmes that create knowledgeable employees at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time.
University courses, for example, become confusing because of too much loosely associated study – and much too wide a syllabus. Students are then prevented from getting enough core and in-depth understanding on a specific area.
Think about if you were the employer – and you needed to take on someone with a very particular skill-set. What’s the simplest way to find the right person: Wade your way through a mass of different academic qualifications from hopeful applicants, having to ask what each has covered and which vocational skills they have, or choose a specific set of accreditations that exactly fulfil your criteria, and draw up from that who you want to speak to. The interview is then more about the person and how they’ll fit in – rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
We can’t make a big enough deal out of this point: It’s essential to obtain proper 24×7 round-the-clock professional support from mentors and instructors. You’ll definitely experience problems if you don’t.
Email support is too slow, and so-called telephone support is normally just routed to a call-centre who will take the information and email an instructor – who’ll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, when it suits them. This isn’t a lot of good if you’re stuck with a particular problem and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.
The very best training providers have many support offices from around the world. Online access provides the interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, at any time you choose, help is at hand, without any problems or delays.
Don’t under any circumstances take less than you need and deserve. Support round-the-clock is the only kind that ever makes the grade with IT training. Perhaps you don’t intend to study during the evenings; often though, we’re out at work while the support is live.
Considering how a program is ‘delivered’ to you is often missed by many students. How many parts is the training broken down into? What is the specific order and what control do you have at what pace it arrives?
Often, you’ll enrol on a course staged over 2 or 3 years and get posted one section at a time – from one exam to the next. It seems to make sense on one level, but consider these issues:
How would they react if you didn’t complete each and every exam at the required speed? Often the prescribed exam order won’t fit you as well as some other structure would for you.
Ideally, you’d ask for every single material to be delivered immediately – meaning you’ll have all of them to come back to at any time in the future – whenever it suits you. This also allows you to vary the order in which you move through the program if another more intuitive route presents itself.
Several companies supply a practical Job Placement Assistance program, to help you get your first job. In reality it’s not as difficult as you may be led to believe to get a job – assuming you’re well trained and qualified; employers in this country need your skills.
Ideally you should have advice and support about your CV and interviews though; and we’d recommend everybody to work on polishing up their CV as soon as training commences – don’t wait for when you’re ready to start work.
Various junior support roles have been offered to trainees who are still studying and haven’t got any qualifications yet. This will at least get you on your way.
If you’d like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then you’ll often find that a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service might be more appropriate than the trainer’s recruitment division, because they are much more inclined to be familiar with the local job scene.
Please be sure that you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, only to stop and leave it in the hands of the gods to find you a job. Take responsibility for yourself and get out there. Channel as much energy and enthusiasm into landing your first job as you did to get trained.
(C) Scott Edwards 2009. Go to Click HERE or Cisco Training.
Basically, the ‘Green Energy’ idea is how our everyday needs are supplied by natural resources such as wind, tides and even geothermal heat. Collectively they are thought to be ‘Green’ because they are ecologically sound and easy to replace. The older energy skill sets have had value for years, especially when we think of wind power and windmills. However, it is the result of eco-efficient and planet friendly options that this process is maintained.
Solar Thermal and Solar Water Heating Collectors are examples of what can be used in your house as part of renewable energy technologies. Equally there is electricity that is generated through roof-installed panels. Following on from this is a process known as Biomass Energy – which includes Boilers burning wood and other fuels. There is also the ground heat from the Sun – now known as Ground Source Heat Pumps. Considering items such as Wind Power and Hydro Turbines, we are finally getting to very old forms of energy production.
Solar Thermal Energy – By using different technologies, Solar Energy is effectively made up of two types of solar panels. Initially, there is the process of obtaining hot water from the Sun via Solar Water Heating Collectors. Additionally, there is the method of converting solar radiation into electricity known as Photovoltaic – or simply Solar Electrical panels. To get the best results these panels need to be south facing at an angle of around 30 degrees from horizontal, and away from blockages.
With Solar Power being so common within the UK, it’s Solar Water Power that is most often used. Solar Water heating systems can meet the need for more than half of all hot water needs in the domestic market. The average cost of installing this type of equipment is expected to range from 500 to 1500 pounds for a DIY system, through to 2-5k for a professionally installed system.
Systems Utilising Biomass Energy: This term encompasses all forms of natural products – such as plant and animal material. It’s the ability of this power source to generate diverse forms of energy, such as heat and electricity, that makes this so adaptable. Indeed, within the European Markets, the UK has some of the leading levels of Biomass material at hand. Added to all this, is the lack of C02 produced as a by-product of the whole process. Because the system often involves one tree being planted as another is felled, many wood crops are deemed to be sustainable sources.
To meet the need, fast growing trees, known as Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) are utilised. Perennial grasses are also responsible for large quantities of dry matter. Within this process also sits the lesser known Agricultural and Municipal Wastes. To begin with, Agricultural Waste is often produced as part of the agricultural process overall. However, waste derived from food or wood is another biomass entity – called Municipal Waste.
Systems Based On Geo-Thermal Energy: The constant energy of the Sun heating the Earth results in both warm water and electricity being produced. Using the ground temperature of around 12 degrees in the UK – we can both heat and cool buildings. Whilst these heat pumps require energy to operate, their rate of return is excellent – being four units produced for every one unit used. A greate return of energy (sometimes almost 100 percent) is produced – because heat source pumps can operate in-line with wind turbines and solar electrical panels.
Systems Based On Wind Energy: As an energy source, wind energy has to be one of the oldest forms of energy creation in history. However, in more recent times there’s been the option to recover the energy for its own sake – and deliver this either to a home unit or to the local power grid. To be fair, the UK has the highest level of wind generation within Europe. Although, within the UK we currently only utilise 1 percent of electricity from wind, yet the potential rests at a surprising 10 percent. Rather than electricity production running at 2-10 p per kWh, it could be run at 2p per kWh. Recovery of the cost involved is somewhere between 6-9 months.
Last of all there is Hydropower – an area of especial importance to the UK. The ability to utilise energy from moving water, much like wind power, has been going on for thousands of years. That said, this type of energy can generate around 2 percent of the total electrical demand for the UK.
A hydropower system uses a turbine to create energy from moving water. By using a dam or a natural river drop, these turbines do not require water storage. A ‘Micro-Hydro’ system creates energy through the use of dams and sluices (that are no longer a part of the national distribution system.) Although a lesser known form of electricity output, this process could supply 200mW of UK demand. When considering the installation cost of items such as this, we’re looking at somewhere between 200 pounds and 3k per kW of energy created.
The demand on ‘Green Energy’ continues to develop – in light of the energy demands worldwide. The UK remains one of the main beneficiaries of this technology.
With the rise in demand for domestic installations, both Electricians and Plumbers are well placed to take advantage of this technology. With ‘Green Energy’ rising up the political agenda in Europe, a range of financial aids and grants are becoming available. It is important to gain the correct qualifications to install these items. Electrical or plumbing training that incorporates green technology could be very useful for the future.
(C) 2009 S. Edwards. Look at Green Engineer Certification or Renewable Energy Certification.
If you are in need of supplemental money to help cover the cost of school, Astrive student loans could be what you are looking for in order to get the extra financing you seek. Astrive student loans are actually private loans that were set up to help cover the costs of schooling that are not covered by the standard federally funded financial aid packages.
There are a few methods that you can acquire Astrive student loans. Firstly, you can apply by yourself. In order to do so, you need to have an extremely good credit history that has matured for no less than 26 months. This is typically difficult for young adults to meet, so the majority of individuals making use of Astrive student loans apply through a co-signer.
A co-signer is someone with a good credit rating who is willing to back you and take the responsibility for your student loan. However, a co-signer must meet a certain list of requirements in order to be eligible.
There are several criteria that you must meet in order to be eligible for Astrive student loans. Firstly, you must already know which college you are going to attend. This is important, as Astrive must contact the school and ask for information on the loan process for that particular college. On top of that, they will ensure that you will be attending that school, and set up the process of fund transfers from Astrive to the college.
Astrive student loans work in a very similar way to how federally funded loans do. There is the same six month grace period associated with federal funding and a very similar application process. However, unlike federal funding, Astrive student loans are not restricted by the same limitations that federal funds are.
Federal funding will only allow a certain amount per student, while Astrive student loans are usually more flexible. If your credit rating and history, as well as that of your co-signer, support a higher limit, you can get the amount that you need. This is extremely useful for those students who are enrolled in famous higher education centers, as these colleges are typically a great deal more expensive.
Just like with many financial centers, but unlike federal funding, Astrive student loans applications can be rejected for any reason they like. The reasons can range from downturns in the economy to the possibility that you may default on the loan. The higher the risk you are, the more chances there are that your application will not be accepted.
If you are interested in Astrive student loans, please come to our website, which specializes in Student Loans Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service
Just what is the real cost of a college education and is there a financing scheme available? Well, lets face reality – a college education is really very expensive, causing a lot of parents alarm when their children are considering going to a community college or a state university.
There are many of things that make up the total cost of a college education and the tuition fees are only a part of the whole story of getting into college. Common, everyday expenditures include food, transport, housing, spending money and other sundry fees, which, when added up can be a significant part when financing a college education.
Nowadays, many families, even those who belong to the upper class, consider applying for financial aid. College grants and scholarships are a very good method of financial help. Grant and scholarship programs do not require the students or even their families to pay back the amount given.
Scholarships are of two basic kinds: (A) scholarships given according to financial need, depending on the financial inability of the student and their families as a unit to pay for the education, and (B) scholarships based on merit, for example the talent of the student in football is the main consideration. A students academic ability falls under the merit-based college grant and scholarship system too.
Often, college grants and scholarships combine the merit and need criteria to ease the whole financial aid process. Numerous students and their families are on the look-out for this kind of financial aid. However, college grants and scholarships are limited in number although there is a growing number of students year after year.
Those students who qualify can get federal and a number of state scholarships, some of which are listed below:
Federal or National Pell Grants ” this is a program, funded nationwide, which is intended to give assistance to any qualified undergraduate student pursuing post-secondary schooling. Grants and scholarships of this kind are given to those who have not yet finished a baccalaureate degree.
The worth of the grant can vary year after year and will depend a lot on the financial needs of the student, the expenses that will be incurred while attending the chosen university or college, and the availability of funds from the national government. This kind of grant will open up an opportunity for students to be successful in obtaining financial assistance from the national government.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) ” this is a program for continuing undergraduate students with exceptional monetary needs. However, not all students qualify for this kind of grant. It will depend on the eligibility of the student and the availability of funds in the school concerned.
Another sort of financial aid that students and families can get is student loans. However, this kind of financial assistance must be repaid. The financial needs of the family must be taken into consideration to avoid paying very high interest rates.
It is also a must to understand all the terms of the lending agencies such as the schedule of repayment and interest rates, before making a commitment.
Work study is another form of financial assistance which calls for students to work to keep themselves during their college stay. Work study is commonly carried out on campus and is the most typical form of financial aid in all of the universities and colleges in the USA. Usually, the students will work for schools for ten to fifteen hours per week.
Scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid to obtain a college education is really multi-faceted, confusing at times, and even down-right exasperating. However, the good thing is that a college education is a non-refundable and non-toxic form of investment. It is for the student’s future!
If you require information on being awarded financial aid or college scholarships then you really must go along to our website on College Scholarships Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service
The salaries of Plumbers are often talked about in the national press. It is this need for trained Plumbers that has led to salaries of 30-70k p.a. being advertised. So, is this the truth of the matter, or are we being lied to? For the competent and correctly skilled person, this level of salary is realistic. 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.
If you enter the traditional work environment, primarily working for an established employer, then working hours of Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm are standard. 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. A self-employed person can earn more money than this traditional approach, but will often need to work outside of the Mon- Fri, 9am to 6pm example. For example in the domestic sector where clients are often at work during the working day, self employed plumbers are regularly required to work during evening and weekend visits.
Around which is the question of self employment which appears to fit some people. 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. Furthermore, additional costs such as materials and transport, along with legal and accountancy fees will need to be paid. 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 benefits nearly always far outweigh the downsides!
Without a doubt Student Entrants are looking for companies who can offer them regular employment and thereby teach them from experience. Alternatively, the Self Employed Entrant needs to quickly establish those certificates that they will rely on in industry. Having said that, we should bear in mind that the majority of self-employed workers tend to migrate towards the narrower ‘domestic’ market, rather than the commercial sector. (Not all, just the majority!)
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.
Without a doubt, it is the greater dependence on the NVQ element that separates the Student Entrant from the Self Employed Entrant. The Self Employed Entrant will regularly employ a range of certifications in order to meet the needs of their client’s requirements from the beginning. To satisfy their typical household-based client base many self-employed persons will need to quickly focus on the relative domestic skill sets. 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. By using this cheaper form of study the Student Entrant can make sound financial savings from the outset. However, in relation to the Student Entrant the Self Employed Entrant will gain certifications faster and therefore achieve substantial financial gains in the long term.
It is by covering the study needs along with those of a clear careers discussion that meet the financial rewards. It is extremely difficult for adults with a family to look after and needing 20kp.a. to consider going back to college and spending 3 years on low paid-apprenticeship work. 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. The level of certification sought by the student drives the course structure and can result in costs of between 3k through to 10k+.
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 situation whereby Self Employed Entrants can continue with their current job and maintain their financial position remains one of the core advantages of training in evening, part-time or self study classes. With so many colleges at hand, the key is to secure as many with technical data sources and gather them. We have provided adverts and links from several to allow you to come back and review your options, so why not book mark this page (CTRL-D).
Many plumbing students will go on to consider additional courses to increase their ‘marketability’. These courses can provide a range of additional certifications in areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical. As part of the commercial and domestic heating procedures, Gas training continues to be popular with Plumbers.
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 is from this position that many believe the mix of Plumbing/Gas Training is more apt to the mature student. For the Mature Student the emphasis appears to be reducing the NVQ elements and focussing on the core subjects.
It is from this mix of training methods that the self-employed professional appears to benefit. There is a great empathy for earning money whilst learning a wider range of work skill sets. The removal of any reliance of sub-contracting key skills of third parties definitely enhances the commercial package. 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. The more skilled a plumber is in their job role – the more that they have to offer their client base.
In conclusion, the Self Employed Entrant can enjoy a much higher (and more quickly achieved) income than a Student Entrant, but they would have to work at developing a broader range of certifications (and consider the business side of things too.) Note: This information deals with industry requirements and policies for the UK market alone.
Copyright Scott Edwards 2009. Visit Plumbing Training or NVQ Plumbing.
