CORGI are warning people about the people entering the industry with these courses behind them. See:- http://www.trustcorgi.com/news/corgi/BewareofFastTrackPlumbingCourses.htmx
Nothing new here, in fact Corgi are looking to assist short course plumbers in getting Corgi registered: "CORGI feel that insisting on an NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification would act as a barrier to competent Plumbers with lesser or no qualifications from joining our scheme or in fact any other scheme. Our objective is to operate a competent person’s scheme for those Plumbers who can demonstrate their competence through a structured pre registration assessment prior to joining. " They seem to recognise that there are a lot of short course plumbers and want to get their greedy mitts on them and charge them for it. I think you will find that Corgi have just identified another source of income! - nothing to do with standards although that is how it will be dressed up.
I think there is another side to this. There must be a lot of experienced gas fitters out there who didn't take any recognised exams and then for whatever reason left the industry. Would it be right to deprive the industry of those skills? In the late 70's early 80's the government introduced the YOPS scheme, basically employers took school leavers on who were paid by government for 6 months. Some companies used these trainees as slave labour but for some it was a route into a trade at a time when employers weren't prepared to put kids through college etc. I was one of those kids and although the lack of college never held me back at the time it certainly does now if I wanted to sit an ACS and get back into gas work.
You are right Ollie but remember, Corgi only do things to benefit Corgi - they will provide a means for un-qualified but experienced people to gain Corgi approval, probably in return for an annual fee. Corgi are always after your dosh. I packed in Corgi a while ago now as I was sick of their constant drain on my wallet.
I think there is another side to this. There must be a lot of experienced gas fitters out there who didn't take any recognised exams and then for whatever reason left the industry. There are very few of those. Most gas Fitters were qualified and rained by B Gas, or the old Gas Boards. Few competent Gas Fitters were trained outside as the Gas Boards had the lions share of the gas work. There are many who have the C&Gs, which took 3 years to get and the other years of OJT experience too - and no Corgi and can't work because they do not have a Corgi badge. Yet I know some men who have a matter of months training and can legally work. If you have C&Gs Gas Fitting you should be given Corgi without any test. It is insulting to these men to test them and charge them for the insult. Corgi was to get "plumbers" up to scratch in gas safety - that's all. Plumbers didn't have a clue about meters, pressures, various types of gas valves, fluing, etc. Because gas ran in pipes plumbers would touch it thinking anything in a pipe is their field - it isn't, that is why there was two separate qualification.
captain leaky, corgi apparently charge around £1000 every 5 years? is this correct? if so its not much is it, around £200 per year.
captain leaky, corgi apparently charge around £1000 every 5 years? is this correct? if so its not much is it, around £200 per year. Yeah, but you've got to take a week off! when you could be swopping over 5 boilers = £5000 profit down the drain
I spoke to a CORGY inspector last week, he said there's a lot less of them(CC & CCCs) about now, as the cost of training, portfolio problems etc has put them off. There has been a couple of MPs also raising concerns about the short course schemes, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they all slide back under the stone they appeared from.