The press have often expressed how much Plumbers can earn in the UK. 30-70k p.a. is often talked about because of the lack of Plumbers. 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. 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.
If you are working for a traditional company within the UK, then the hours of Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm are normal. Indeed salaries of between 15k and 30k p.a. form part of what is expected from employed status in this area, along with the added reward of holiday pay and sickness allowance. 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. Without a doubt in the domestic market many clients require evening and weekend visits and self employed plumbers have to meet that need.
There is also the issue of self-employment itself – which definitely suits some people more than it suits 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. Equally, most self-employed people will need to pay additional costs to cover their materials and transport, alongside 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. Added to that, the positives virtually always outstrip the negatives!
Student Entrants are generally looking for regular employment with a particular employer who can cover most of their working needs and teach them from experience. The need to increase their certifications and accreditations regularly affect the Self Employed Entrant. 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)
The certification units, needed by each part of the industry keeps a similarity in terms of Plumbing education. There is considerable divergence though when the issue of NVQ’s (SVQ’s in Scotland) comes into play.
To begin with, the Student Entrant appears to rely more heavily on the NVQ structure than the Self Employed Entrant. By calling upon a wider range of qualifications Self Employed Entrants will be able to meet their clients’ needs from the start. 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. The Student Entrant, once they have covered the key fundamentals, will carry on their study in a way similar to an apprenticeship (within the workplace – where the NVQ element can be assessed.) Considering that it is a cheaper way to study then the Student can make practical savings from the start. Nevertheless by taking a more commercial viewpoint and gaining qualifications faster than the Student Entrant, many Self Employed Entrants gain greater financial rewards and within a shorter space of time.
Clearly this illustrates the need for a careers discussion that covers certifications and study alongside those of financial returns. 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 should also be remembered that many younger Student Entrants are entering an apprenticeship and thereby have their courses paid for them whereas the mature self-employed students do not. These costs (for self-employed status) can often end up around 3k-10k+, dependent upon the course structure and the level of certification sought.
The study process is often split with Student Entrants studying at recognised further-education colleges whereas the mature Self Employed Entrants going for a wider range of private run technical schools. It is the lead into familiar skill-sets and qualifications that commercially fixed plumbing course companies offer as part of their training paths. 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. Using the range of sources, it makes sense to gather as much detail as possible and through this be able to work out the training college that suits you best. 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.
To increase their ‘marketability’ many plumbing students will go on to utilise extra courses. Courses in areas such as Gas, Electrical and Green Energy can provide added certifications. A popular route for Plumbers involves that of the normal domestic and commercial heating system training program of Gas Training.
Gas Training is considered a dedicated training program with key subjects followed by important NVQ’s. It is the ability to add extra skills to the fore, along with the features that on-going training offers that continue to be attractive to those who trained as a plumber. From this stance, the mature student is often more suited to a cross of Plumbing/Gas training. Indeed, the path for the Mature Student seems to be to drop the NVQ elements and to focus on the core subjects.
It is this distinct training hybrid that appears to suit the self-employed professional. There is a great empathy for earning money whilst learning a wider range of work skill sets. This adds to their overall package rather than having to rely on sub-contraction of key skills to third parties. Sub-contraction needs to be handled carefully as the erosion of customer satisfaction by having to wait for key work to be completed by third parties can result in a serious reduction in potential earnings. The higher the skill level of a Plumber the more that they can offer their client base.
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 relative information is primarily for the UK workplace and policies alone.
Author: Scott Edwards. Visit Intensive Plumbing Courses or CLICK HERE.