How to Become a Plumber & Other Trade Training Tips

Learning a useful skill is a wonderful way to use your talent, and promote your chances of getting a job. There many young people up and down the lands who are wondering just how the devil you get a job at all. Isn’t it a bad economic time, with jobs being very scarce and hard to come by especially for young people?

Well, yes – that’s partially true. But what’s also true is the fact that there are many different ways of getting a job, and you might not have considered this one. The normal route for youngsters is to finish school, attend university and then slip into a nice comfortable job – but unfortunately, this route doesn’t quite work in the same way that it once did. With so many more people attending university these days than 20 or even 10 years ago, there’s significant competition and this has resulted in a bottle necking effect – meaning there aren’t enough jobs for university graduates.

Hope is not lost however, there are many other options – and a really good option is trades, learning a skill that gives you a leg up and can help you stand out from the crowd. If trades don’t appeal, or you’re in need of some more general job seeking tips then feel free to see my Instructable ‘A Few Simple Steps To Help You Start Your Career’.

Still with me? Good, let’s begin and see how trades can help you get a job and earn a good living.

Getting into a trade is a relatively straightforward process, but you need to be absolutely certain that the one you get into is the one that’s right for you. Let’s say you’re interested in plumbing, make sure you think long and hard about the nature of the job itself.

Remember, plumbing usually involves water – which means that you might have to think about the possibility of getting wet on occasion. It also means you’re going to have to think about how your mind works. Are you a logical thinker? If so then laying pipe in an intricate way might be appealing – if not, then maybe plumbing courses aren’t right for you and you should think of something else.

There are also a range of different aspects of the job that you will have to consider. In plumbing for example, you may be required to access small spaces and get to areas that might be otherwise difficult to access. This means a lot of crawling through cramped lofts and can sometimes also mean accessing areas that are high-up or otherwise dangerous.

You really need to think long and hard before you proceed, so do your research. If you think you’re interested in a particular trade then get in touch with someone, they should be happy to have a friendly chat if you approach them nicely.

Finding the right course is another matter entirely, it requires almost as much thought as figuring out the trade that is right for you. So when you’ve decided on a trade, what do you look out for and how do you decide which is the best option?

The first thing to remember is that you will most likely paying for your training yourself. It’s not a pleasant thought, especially if you’re thinking of training after having done a lengthy and expensive degree. However, training courses in trades are usually considerably cheaper – and they also take considerably less time to complete. It’s going to take a few months as opposed to a few years. So when you’re looking, take the finances into account – because it’s quite important.

The second thing to look out for is accredited courses; you need to gain a qualification that’s recognised by the industry. Otherwise, your course is not going to have a lot of value – so make sure that you look out for industry accredited course providers.

Getting the most out of your course once you’ve started is something that’s very important if you’re going to get into a job afterwards. You need to work very hard and make sure you come up to the standards – and possibly exceed them if you can.

If you’re unsure about a certain element of your course, always ask and make sure you fully understand everything – remember training is a qualification, so it’s like you’re being tested throughout your course and you have to show you understand things and have good initiative.

Whilst on your course, it’s wise to network and try and make contacts. Training centres are industry hubs for trade professionals and so you should make the most of the valuable expertise that you are around. It’s going to make a real difference if you have someone who really knows and believes in your skill behind you – it’s also worth pointing out that many training centres will be targeted by existing trade businesses that are looking for young apprentices and assistants.

Once you’ve completed your training, you need to find a job – and with your qualification you will probably find it a whole lot easier than many other people. Getting a good grip on what you’ve got to offer will make the process of finding a job a bit easier too – remember you’re qualified so you can really add value to a trade at this point.

Try looking for apprentice or assistant positions, this will give you some valuable on the job experience and it’s also quite likely they will be impressed by the initiative you’ve shown in obtaining a qualification by yourself – because many tradesman will recruit and train their own assistants before sending them off to be qualified. So you can show how valuable you will be.

What did you think about my Instructable? Please feel free to let me know what you think, I write on a large number of subjects so you should also follow me on Twitter - @JeffNevil.