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.
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