Tax related and Everything Goes

The press have often expressed how much Plumbers can earn in the UK. It is this need for trained Plumbers that has led to salaries of 30-70k p.a. being advertised. So, is this really the position or is this basically untrue? Certainly this level of payment is both possible and achievable for the correctly qualified Plumber. In fact, earnings in excess of 70 – 100k p.a. are achievable – but that is solely for those who work within the self-employed market-place, rather than those who work within established employment routes.

If you are working for a traditional company within the UK, then the hours of Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm are normal. 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. 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 the also the fact which fits some people more than others and that is self employment. This can involve factors such as getting the basics sorted out and the need to use good ‘business sense’ overall. Equally, most self-employed people will need to pay additional costs to cover their materials and transport, alongside legal and accountancy fees etc. While these costs can mount up, so too do the benefits, however the costs should always remain a smaller part of the income generated. And the positives virtually always beat the downsides!

Without a doubt Student Entrants are looking for companies who can offer them regular employment and thereby teach them from experience. As quickly as possible the Self Employed Entrant needs to increase their list of accreditations that they will rely upon. 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. (Whilst not everyone does the majority do!)

In terms of plumbing education, there appears to be some similarity between the certification modules required by each path into the industry. There does remain considerable question when the factor of NVQ’s (SVQ’s in Scotland) is realised.

From the outset, it is clear that the Self Employed Entrant does not depend as much upon the NVQ’s as the Student Entrant. The Self Employed Entrant will often call upon a wider range of certifications right from the outset; in order to satisfy their perceived client’s requirements. Certainly, it is the qualifications aimed at meeting the needs of the typical household-based client base that self-employed persons need to focus upon. 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. The Student Entrant can also make financial savings at the start, as it is a cheaper form of study overall. 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.

To be sure the financial returns required is the result of clear careers discussions covering certification and the overall study requirements. For adults with demands of say a 20kp.a and a family to look after, the prospect of going back to college and spending a further 3 years in low-paid apprenticeship work can be very daunting. 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. Depending on the level of certification sought and the course itself the costs for people can run into 3k to 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. The ability to train in evenings, part-time or in self study classes allowing people to continue with their existing job and maintaining their current financial situation remains one of the key advantages to Self Employed Entrants. With so many colleges at hand, the key is to secure as many with technical data sources and gather them. 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.

Many plumbing students will go on to consider additional courses to increase their ‘marketability’. Areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical training can offer additional qualifications to Plumbers. As part of the commercial and domestic heating procedures, Gas training continues to be popular with Plumbers.

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. It is by centring on these core elements and dropping the NVQ elements that the Mature Student appears to settle.

It is this blend of training that would appear to satisfy the needs of the self-employed professional. There is a great empathy for earning money whilst learning a wider range of work skill sets. This further enhances their commercial offering, instead of sub-contracting key skills to a third party. 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. To have a higher value within their client base a Plumber needs to consider their relative skill sets that they offer.

Whilst the Student Entrant has the chance to develop through an established employer a Self Employed Entrant can utilise their skill levels through business skills and develop a broader range of certifications to achieve a higher income stream. Note: This information deals with industry requirements and policies for the UK market alone.

Copyright Scott Edwards 2009. Visit Plumbing Courses UK or Apprenticeships In Plumbing.