The Budget Room

To begin with newspapers appear to love discussing what can be earned in Plumbing. Salaries of 30-70k p.a. are often discussed, along with the lack of plumbers within the UK. So, are we being told a story or is this the genuine picture? Certainly this level of payment is both possible and achievable for the correctly qualified Plumber. 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. 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. Whilst the ability to earn more than through normal means exists, the self-employed plumber usually has to consider working longer hours. This is more noticeable when the self employed plumber chooses to work in the domestic market, as result often requiring many evening and weekend visits to suit their clients.

Around which is the question of self employment which appears to fit some people. The inclusion of key elements such as utilising good ‘business sense’, covering areas such as advertising and marketing and getting your own cost-per-hour correct is integral to the picture. Furthermore, additional costs such as materials and transport, along with legal and accountancy fees will need to be paid. 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!

From the outset it’s the double offer of teaching them from experience and covering most of their working needs that Student Entrants are looking for in employment. 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 of them, but the main do!)

Furthermore, each route into Plumbing has a necessity on the certification process overall. It is when the issue of NVQ’s (SVQ’s in Scotland) is considered that a considerable discrepancy becomes clear.

Without a doubt, it is the greater dependence on the NVQ element that separates the Student Entrant from 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. 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. 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.

It is by covering the study needs along with those of a clear careers discussion that meet the financial rewards. It would prove extremely difficult for an adult – requiring 20kp.a and having to look after their family – to go back to college and then spend 3 years in 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. It is often the course structure and the level of certification that can run into costs of around 3k-10k+.

For the most part the private colleges are the domain of the Self Employed Entrant whereas the Student Entrant is required to study at recognised further-education colleges. It is through well known educational paths that many commercial training companies can offer routes into correct qualifications and skill-set requirements. Of a key opportunity is the ability to train out of hours – evening, part time and self study classes that allows Self Employed Entrants to continue training whilst continuing with their job and maintaining their financial situation. From this it makes sense to gather as much detail as you can especially with so many training options available. 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).

It is through the use of bonus courses that many plumbing students want 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.

It is with its main subjects, alongside added NVQ’s, that result in Gas Training being viewed as a technical program. It also features many options for on-going training, especially for those who trained as a plumber first and are now looking at some extra skills to add to their stable. It could be said that the blend of training covering Plumbing/Gas training is better matched to the mature student. The path of focussing on the core subjects and at the same time dropping the NVQ’s seems to favour the Mature Student.

From this, the self-employed professional appears to suit the variable training schemes. To earn money whilst at the same time as gaining a wider range of perceived skills becomes a desirable prospect. This alone can add to their industrial viewpoint, as opposed to relying on sub-contracting core elements to third parties. Sub-contracting can not only reduce the earning potential of a job, but also erode the value in the customer’s eye, as they may have to wait for key stages to be handled by someone else before the final completion of the job. The more professional a Plumber is within their field the more that they have to offer their relative client base.

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 reflects the needs and requirements for the industry and policies of the UK market alone.

(C) 2009 Scott Edwards. Hop over to Plumbing Courses UK or CLICK HERE.