About this blog
The purpose of my blog is to give an insight into the way the Building Trade Skills Centre (BTSC) recruits, operates, teaches and treats its students. I will also give a review of course material, study aides and the focus of individual “Modules”.
NOTE: This is not a BTSC sponsored or approved blog. It is a personal account of my experience and opinions of BTSC as well as those of other students.
Please select from the categories to the right of the page.
I am continuing to work on this blog and more will be coming in the days, weeks and months ahead.
Names and persons have been intentionally omitted.
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Hi, I’m thinking of joining BTSC, I have an interview with them next week. Your blog is a fantastic insight of how BTSC operate. What made you chose BTSC vs another training center? Thanks in advance.
Hi Pete!
I think BTSC has superb facilities and very professional trainers (as explained to me by the sales staff) for a college in this industry. I think that is what ultimately sold me. If you can see through their sales pitch, you can better know what to expect and have a good experience at the college.
After attending the college, I can say that most of their training staff are, in fact, very good.
I cannot belive someone has emailed to say they are going to an ‘interview’ at this place after reading your blog, they must be mad! There are plenty of other plumbing training companies out there, choose one that is honest and up front to begin with! OLCI or VIY would be better than this lot.
Jim, thanks for the comment!
That is something to consider and the reason I put the blog up. It is important for people to do their research before they sign any agreements.
Research, research, research!
At least if anyone does choose BTSC, after doing research, they have been given a heads-up and know what to expect!
With regards to the comment that said;
“I cannot belive someone has emailed to say they are going to an ‘interview’ at this place after reading your blog, they must be mad! There are plenty of other plumbing training companies out there, choose one that is honest and up front to begin with! OLCI or VIY would be better than this lot”.
This person hasn’t looked into it much either, OLCI is mainly distance learning and doesn’t offer the same support as BTSC, and VIY claims to make you fully qualified to level 3 NVQ in 10 weeks! which is taking you for a mug as much as ommiting to inform you of certain red tape in order to get you in the door.
Thank you Neil for that information!
It was nice reading all your views. Its the same for all the new guys who have joined in recently. enjoy the first few modules and when the waiting game starts ,its then you start pulling your hair and ask yourself if it was really worth it. BTSC is just like any other business to make maximum profit. The sales guys must have told you that you will finish 8 modules in about 8 to 10 months , well, do your maths. If you signed your contract today they will give you the little health and safety book to go and read, you book your exam an so on. The whole process should not take you more than 2 weeks. After you get your results the management gives you a date for mod 1 usually after 4 weeks. It will be 6 weeks gone before you start mod.1 from the date you started your contract. Now you are happy doing your mod.1 for the whole week. End of week you do your reading over the weekend and book your exam following week. You cannot do your exam on monday so you book on tuesday you get your results latest by friday. So you have already spent 2 weeks on mod.1 after you get your results and you have passed you call management to reserve you a place in mod.2 again 4 week wait. So 6 weeks will pass before you start mod.2 and the whole process starts again. My point is you are waiting 6 weeks between module. So 6weeks multiply 8 modules will give you 48 weeks which equals to 1 year. You can now see that there is no room for flexibility, and if you are a guy like me working, its sometimes difficult to get time off on the the dates they have given you. So be prepared and have lot of spare cash.
And by the way i am finishing mod.13. Are there guys out there doing mod.14 that can give us a word .
Good insight Copper 22. Thanks for that!
Now that your in mod 13, how was your experience on their job placement?
Any more info on how this course is progressing for you? I know it can be difficult with restricted time frames etc to get passes on your assessments through a one week module, what have your experiences been like? have you had to part with much extra cash for it?
Hi Neil!
Overall, the courses have been progressing very well. The only added costs (that were unexpected) were some books. Particularly the two study guides that hey don’t sell you but tell you about in the courses is a good idea to get. I recommend getting them. Especially the JTL Plumbing NVQ Level 2. I listed them in my Suggested Reading Materials category on this blog.
Overall the costs are not as bad as it might appear at first when your calculating the costs of the course itself, not thinking of having to buy safety gear etc., which you must.
I think one also needs to think about public transportation costs. This is not an unexpected cost but parking is such an issue that its best to just take the train. A week travelcard all zones is quite a hefty charge. Something like 46 pounds I think.
The courses themselves, like I have mentioned, are very informative, stimulating and fun. My experience with most of the trainers is very good. They are clear on the tasks to be achieved, helpful throughout and good people.
Classroom is helpful for revision purposes but can get a bit dull at times.
Honestly, overall my experience at the college is positive. I have learned a lot and gained confidence in my skills towards becoming a plumber.
I will be posting some more insight on the next module soon, perhaps sometime next week for anyone interested.
I checked out BTSC in Nov 07. I was not impressed by there pushy sales person and potentially hidden costs and, after talking to a number of other people who had done a fast track C&G 6129 (Level 2) courses I kept getting the same answer, go to the Plumbing Academy in Edenbridge Kent. So, I did, and what great choice. I am now on my 18th week of the 20 week course and it has been superb with a real profesional service and ‘NO’ Hidden costs at all, and with attending 4 days a week I have been under no pressure to really study in the evenings as it is all covered during the classroom and practical sessions. Mind you, if you are looking to just get your C&G 6129 /level 2 and do not want to work hard and really lean the trade. Then this is not the place to go. But if you do, you will be well trained to a very high level to enter the world of plumbing. This place is a very well kept secret. Sorry to push the Plumbing Academy on this dedicated BTSC Blog but I hope it will help pleople to make the right choice in selecting the right training company.
Thanks for that comment. This is not a BTSC blog so your comment is most welcome! It is important that people get a wide range of information in their research.
I’ve been looking for plumbing courses. I want to do a fast course so I can get working more quickly so I looked at courses that I can finish in few weeks. I will probably go to BSTC because I like the course they have told me about and it is near to where I live. I also liked the one at OLCI. I went to see there nearest centre to me which was fine. The problem was there intensive course was full and I had to wait for a month to start. I could do their flexable course and start now but I want to do the intensive. BSTCs centre also looks good plus I have seen some good things on this web site.
Can I ask whether the BTSC modules are run at set times in the day, or is flexibility allowed? My Boyfriend is interested in this, but he currently works shfts of 6-2pm pne week and 2-10pm the next. Would they accommodate him to fit around work?
Also, does anyone have a rough idea of the costs in total for this? thanks
Yes, they are set times, 9am to 5pm, M-F. I am not aware of any night courses that the College offers. It might be a good idea to ask this when contacting the College.
Costwise, you are looking at just shy of 5,000 pounds for NVQ level 1&2. If your boyfriend is going to do Level 3 also, add to the total another 4,000 pounds.
hi i’m at btsc manchester and the whole process is much quicker … i signed contract a week last wed, had health and safety test on thursday and i’m already on module 1 (finish tomorrow) my exam will be next tuesday and if iv pass module 2 will begin the week after.
That’s great Kay-jay. They must not be overbooked for that location.
Hi
I have been looking for a plumbing course that gives me recognised qualifications to becoming a plumber. I have looked ino this in great detail and the course BTSC provide seems to tick all the right boxes.I see from previous comments that the course cost around 5k, and that the times are 9-5 mon – fri. Does the cost have to be paid all at once. Also as I am working a 9-5 job monday to friday, would i need to take a week off for each module?
If anyone can help it would be appreciated.
Thanks
Hi Chadders,
Yes, the entire amount for NVQ Level 1&2 (nearly 5k) will be paid all at once on the day of your contract signing. Level 1&2 are grouped together and cannot be split.
If you choose to do level 3 you have the option of paying another 4K at the same time or you can opt to pay level 3 later.
If you attend the College, unfortunately, you will have to work out the week off from your place of employment. The college has no method of working around your schedule.
Thanks for the advice El Diablo.
You say i will need to workout the WEEK off, does this mean I only need to take one week off work or will i need to take a week for each module?
Thanks
hi,i’ve found this blog real helpful,but im not 100% sure of something.
is the qualification after the 12months the full nvq you would get if you went to a normal full time college.or is it just the technical 6129 city and guilds qualification.as there are 2 centres im torn between choosing.able skills or btsc?????????
i’ve been plumbing for nearly 6 years now,but never gained any qualifications.i work for a plumbing company but to be able to get anywhere near the ammount of money i should be getting i need those all important papers.im willing to part with the cash but i wanna spend it at the right place,not one i nearly did and ended up with a qualification worth sweet f.a.
i know you say earlier on your replys its just short of 5000 for nvq 1 and 2 but i’ve been told that by a few now only to find out they are worthless city and guilds.
thanks for any more info
doing NVQ 2 at the momoment, did mod 14 in oct 07, kept in touch with quite a few of the guys i was on courses with….no-one has done there ACS in alloted time.
We all did get jobs however and have been busy installing boilers etc for a few months.
i think BTSC should get a heart and cease being such self-interested, money grabbing donkeys, basically they have a good thing to offer as it’s a great facilitly and great trainers but sometimes it does become a bitter pill too swallow.
Drewski, £5000 only get you C&G, you need £12000 + to get NVQ2
HI guys,
not sure wether or not chessington is the same as manchester but the first payment has been reduced by a grand in m/cr and is now 3850 for city and guilds level 2, it is now also only 2850 for your level 3 and around 1500-2000 for final payment for acs gas etc.
some of the guys on my course are preety miffed to find that some of us are saving a lot of money compared to what they paid.
kay-jay
Chadders,
Yes, a week per module is what you will need to take off from work.
Kay-jay,
Maybe that is what they are offering Manchester people. I have not heard of this being offered at Chessington. Im sure many people will be miffed to hear about being charge 1000 more than Manchester!
Drewski,
yes the £5000 is to fulfill the basic requirements for City & Guilds Technical Certificate Level 2. Im not sure exactly how that compare to a regular 2 year college course. Perhaps some of our readers can shed some light on that.
Hi there,
I am currently training at the Btsc, i’ve got my mod 8 in a few weeks time. I just wanted to know if there was anyone else who has done this course that started with absolutely no knowledge of plumbing or the construction industry? I’ve also got ZERO work experience and am started to panic!!! Can anyone offer me any advice?
That would be me! I started the course having been to university and having no knowledge of the construction industry, apart from watching a bit of changing rooms and replacing the sealant in my shower. I am about to start my module 7 and am certain that plumbing is what I want to do. I reckon I will finish module 8 in another 5 weeks time and will be ready to start work…..but where??. I have been ringing around local plumbers and bathroom fitting shops but no one wants to know. So I have taken a job as a labourer in my local area (Surrey) so I can get my foot in the door. I am thinking its who you know…not what you know, so hopefully by the end of the year I will have more options available to me. Have a look at my blog to check my progress or if you want to get an idea of what the course is like. Goodluck! Alex
Hi there!!
Ive just been offered a place at btsc, havnt signed a contract or anything yet!
Im 24, done the whole uni thing, now want a career change.
Is it worth the 12k?? mackieaj you seem to have no regrets, i mean what do you think????
cheers
btw great blog
If you want quality training in the plumbing and heating field look no further than The Plumbing Academy at Edenbridge (www.plumbingacademy.co.uk). The standard of both classroom and workshop training is superb.
I have done C&G Level 2 and 3 Tech Certs and NVQ with them. Also Water Regs, Energy Efficiency, Unvented Hot Water, Solar Systems, various electrical courses.
I started in Dec 2005 – I have been working on my own since achieving Level 2 in May 2006, and have done all this since. I have recently completed my ACS with them earlier this year, and just this week have had my CORGI registration confirmed. Just done an LPG changeover course and ACS assessment.
I am now 54!! My new business is really taking off (the second one I have started in the last 15 years) – I could not have done this without The Plumbing Academy.
thanks for your comments i rang the other day on the 10th july 2008 and a woman said she would have to ask me a few questions on the phone before asking me for an interview where av u worked etc bollocks lol .and got the impression i was being laughed at on the phone i got accepte for an interview and she said how does that feel your going to be a limited few that does this course so i was yes wow now after reading ths i can understand why i had some salesperson asking me questions when she had no rights now ive got an interview with her im gonna ring her on the day and tell her im going to be 5 mins late then ring again and say im nearly there and then ring her again and say oh shit i forgot to tell you im not comming. now you no what its like to keep something from u and waste her time likes shes wasted munne i cant afford 5k for 1k nvq and another 4k for anoter ???? people these days why dont they do a scheme where they pay for ur training and u pay them bk out of ur wages when u get a plumbing job that would be easier and beter wouldnt it
great site for those dipping the toe into plumbing.
I’m up at the manchester site & progressing steadily through the mods.
As stated previously here the interviews are of course nothing more than pre selection….if you have the money your in.
The trainers are excellent & will show you hands on practical skills rather than college based academic crap.
I worked previously for skills training & can assure you that colleges are bums on seats places that draw out nvq quals to two years when the level 2 c&g is obtainable in 6 months.
I would say that self study is the key here & topping up every time you fail either exam is not going to help in the long run, after all who takes a pile of books to a job as referral manuals.( would be funny to see the customers face though)
Chessington from what i gather is oversubscribed & at least here in’t north you can more or less jump on the next mod as soon as you pass the previous tests.
I like all of those on board are curious as to where the job will come from once you are qualified.
Manchester centre offered a 100% guaranteed job once you achieved level 2 & 3 which sounds too good i know.
As no one has got to the end of 3 yet I await the arrival of the BTSC careers team with baited breath to see where these jobs are?
My experience has been a good one so far but do agree that common sense & speaking to those already on the courses is a good idea to get a sense of what to expect.
Not many employers these days allow so much time off work within a 12 month period ( 20/24 days average) so be aware that this will affect how quickly you can get through the units.
Anyways thats my two penneth
ps. a bit more flux on that joint!!
One of my close friends is a “director of recruitment” at BTSC in Manchester, I told him about this blog and he read through, he feels that some of the comments are a bit harsh and that the guys and gals working there are always bein pulled up by management if they say anything misleading at all, he says that management always try to keep very strict guidelines on how the courses are put across and it certainly is not a case of ‘if you’ve got the cash your in’ because my friend has turned people away when they have had the cash in front of them because he felt they were not right for the course, and think about it, for anyone who has been around the centre at manchester, there are only 12 bays per module which equals 12 people at any one time so a max of roughly 200/240 people can train at any one time and they are getting hundreds and hundreds of people in for interviews every month so basic mats tells you that there is only a select few that can get a place there unless they are willing to wait, but that isnt the case either as manchester isnt booked to capacity yet again proving that they are very selective because if they were only interested in taking peoples money then the centre would have been packed months ago as they have had literally 1000’s of potential candidates through their doors since they opened in January, not everything in this world is a scam and I suppose the people with a bad experience of BTSC are the ones who were unlucky enough to get a poor director of recruitment before BTSC found them out and gave them the boot, which I’m told they will do without any hesitation for anyone who steps out of line.
Well that’s my rant over, and the reason I have posted this is due to the fact that my friend was worried he would be breaking the t&c’s of his contract if he wrote it and didn’t want to risk his job as he genuinely feels he is helping people to change their lives for the much better.
I am about to/in the process to join BTSC up in Manchester, is it possible to attend some of the modules in evening/weekend so not having to take the time off work?
Hi Jimmyb69, Yes it is possible, they do “flexi-modules” or atleast they do at the Chessington centre. This entails 2 full week days, Monday and Tuesday, and 2 evenings 6 – 10, one week, then 2 weekday evenings 6-10 and a saturday of the following week. Though I don’t know how available these are because it is reliant on enough people requesting the course. I have done 2 modules full time and never been offered a flexi before until now for my 3rd module.
If you want quality training in the plumbing and heating field look no further than The Plumbing Academy at Edenbridge (www.plumbingacademy.co.uk). The standard of both classroom and workshop training is superb.
I have done C&G Level 2 and 3 Tech Certs and NVQ with them. Also Water Regs, Energy Efficiency, Unvented Hot Water, Solar Systems, various electrical courses.
I started in Dec 2005 – I have been working on my own since achieving Level 2 in May 2006, and have done all this since. I have recently completed my ACS with them earlier this year, and just this week have had my CORGI registration confirmed. Just done an LPG changeover course and ACS assessment.
I am now 54!! My new business is really taking off (the second one I have started in the last 15 years) – I could not have done this without The Plumbing Academy.
Comment by Mark Humphryes | June 30, 2008
Is this guy for real???? Why doesn’t he just take a fee from the plumbing academy and be done with it?!! Or maybe he works for them??? I WONDER lol!!! I knwo for a fact that the plumbing academy has gone into liquidation and set up as slightly different company name so DON’T trust that lot.
Hi, Just been accepted onto M’cr training, nothing signed yet. Seems alot of people went to interviews this week. Is the health & safety test the same as CSCS Operative test for Health &safety? i’ve already revised for CSCS H&S but not taken it yet (was going to do Tiling on-site work) Could you let me know cos then i could just book test straight away & needn’t buy another useless book! Cheers
Am going to sign the contrat at BTSC Manchester soon. I live far away from Manchester so is any one has any informaion on B&B at a reasonable price not far from the center. Thnks
Sena
Hi there, this blog is certainly the most informative I have found of the BTSC centres, but was wondering when the continuation of information my take place, i.e. Mod 4 revision etc?
Thanks
ok , first of all, tx for starting this blog, has stopped me from wasting my time going to btsc.
phoned them the other day and explained, (in detail) to a guy on the phone, that i was interested in doing a plumbing course, but was looking for a course , in which i could find funding or a grant for, as i was unemployed, and with out a penny to my name, and could not get a cdl because of bad credit, so even after hearing this he told me to come for an interview next week, that guy is a d”ck head, and it seems to me,reading through this site, they are a bunch of money grabbing f:.:ckers.
LEARN IN MONTHS, LOL, yeh 12 months why not just say a year.
interested in wot the red tape is with viy plumbing ?as told above.?????????
this is for ((certain types))of unemployed people.
have done a little digging and found out the dwp, ur job centre, have funded certain types of people the full cost for viy plumbing, but you will have to meet a certain criteria in order to receive the funding, IE:-some sort of hardship case
or single parents who receive tax credits, are the sort of people who have received funding for this course already.
If any one else has any info , about funding or grans out there , for plumbing courses, please let me no.
tx again for starting this blog.
And this, is off there web page.
A (CONTRIBUTION) TOWARDS THE (INDIRECTLY) (SUBSIDISED)TRAINNG IS REQUIRED.
LETS BRAKE THAT DOWN-
(CONTRIBUTION)- MEANS, TO GIVE SOME THING, IE THE MONEY
(INDIRECTLY)-MEANS, NOT IN AN OBVIOSE OR USUAL WAY
(SUBSIDISED)-MEANS, TO PAY PART OF THE COST.
LOL, WOT IS THAT CRAP ALL ABOUT, 12000 POUND, IS THAT WOT THEY CALL A SUBSIDISED COURSE.
just one more thing to add, any training company worth its weight, would not need to hire a bunch of slick talking arse wipes, to sell there course, it would sell its self.
this companys aprouch it seems, from the very first phone call, (is to actually make you think) if accepted on the course, lol, you are one of the lucky ones, lets face it , if forrest gump turned up with 12000 grand, in his hand , they would snatch it so fast, it would make your head spin,
and the guy above who says his friend is the md of this company,is talking out of his arse,when he says they have turned people down, and probably is the md of this company.
the cheeky f::cker on the phone actally, told me to come dressed smart, as it was an interview, i was attending, (again surgesting), i need to impress them, in order to be one of the lucky one,s, wot a joke.
even though they , may get u wot you need to be a plumber, i would never choose these pr”cks to train with.
Mmmm, interesting reading from the above. I know four people at BTSC in Manchester and I’m SO glad that I didn’t go! Please let me explain…
I went for an interview at Manchester (after making five phone calls, cos they never got back to me!) and was told to wear a suit.
I was dressed smarter than the bloke doing the interview and was then given the “BTSC Bullsh*t Tour” of the half empty warehouse (and still is 5 months on) that will accomodate all my needs.
I did a test that a retard basket case monkey with extreme learning difficulties could pass and lo and behold, a few days later I got a call from the car salesman, to say that I had passed with 100%.
If I hadn’t of passed I’d have been worried, that’s for sure!
I was then informed that I scored low on previous plumbing experience (I am qualified brickie – that’s why I’m doing the course Numbnuts!) but high on appearance. I should think so, seeming as your suit was from ASDA.
Could someone answer a question for me? How many plumbers wear a shirt and tie for work???
I just hated the whole, “We’re trying to sell you the best deal ever” sales patter from the cheap suit and “you’re so lucky to be here” approach. They should get a job in Currys.
Anyhow, my buddies on the course spend more time trying to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads than attend the course.
The dole won’t give you a bean cos they see it as a full time course. How can it be a full time course when it’s one week on and six weeks off??? Also, you can get no grant or student loan as IT’S NOT A RECOGNISED GOVERNMENT COURSE.
If my buddies have any problems and want to speak to anyone over the phone at BTSC, they can’t. They have to send a letter to some bigwig in an office. The girls in the office seem to book their favourite plumbers for the next modules and stuff the rest. The office gals don’t communicate because one of my mates phoned for a module and was booked on because there was three places left, then immediately afterwards my second pal phoned and was told the module was booked up – and had been for a week!!! All the lads on the site were wetting themselves with laughter, I can tell you!
What was told at the interview was suspect to question also. I now believe that you have to pay for your exams at £20 a throw.
I wasn’t told this and neither was my mates. Also, when your work is assessed on site, you have to pay for the geezer to visit the site and pass you!
Bloody ‘ell – What happens if you live/work 100 miles away? That’s one hefty fuel bill.
Also, could someone please tell me how this course is “subsidised”? It seems that you pay for everything.
One of the would-be plumbers at BTSC on our site, was asked to bend a pipe.
“Hang on” he said, “I need to get some paper” and with that, he trundled off to the van and returned with an A3 pad and proceeded to draw out a lovely diagram with angles and everything combined – and then bent the best piece of pipe I have ever seen in my 25 years on site!
Our BTSC pavement artist by now had a crowd and people were throwing money into his hardhat. Alas, the poor bugger now has pictures of cups of tea held up to his nose when someone wants a brew or pictures of hammers, nails, saws etc. when any of the lads on site want anything!
I read one of the earlier comments:
“I suppose the people with a bad experience of BTSC are the ones who were unlucky enough to get a poor director of recruitment before BTSC found them out and gave them the boot, which I’m told they will do without any hesitation for anyone who steps out of line.”
I should bloody hope so, cos when someone I know of asked how hard it was to get his CORGI at interview, the salesman said,
“Can you read a tape measure?”
“Sure” said ‘would be plumber’
“Then that’s all you need!” replied salesman…
I believe the course dropped by a grand after a few weeks of opening and now it has risen again by nearly a grand. What happens when the would be plumbers finish their first set of modules and have to apply for the next? Will the money go up again?
It will be interesting to see what comes out of BTSC in the future. Also, I’d like to see the guaranteed jobs in six months time, what with the state of the industry etc. In the meantime, the stories keep the lads entertained on site, so thanks!
I have the sales material from my previous role as sales advisor. I could email you a scanned copy of the material if you could send me an email address.
Cheers
I have the sales material from my previous role as sales advisor. I could email you a scanned copy of the material if you could send me an email address.
Cheers
My email: lollifred4@yahoo.com
I just don’t get it! Stressed out really is stressed out and I understand it cos we’re all strapped for cash but I’m actually doing the training and I ahve to say that for me its working out alrite. Yeah, there was a simple test afrter my interview and the guy who I saw asked me a whole load of questions and a few seemed strange but I WANT to be a plumber and the set up there is quality. They are City and Guilds so the qualification is there to be got. The other guys on the course with me are getting on with it and we’re doing ok. Its harder than I thought but the trainers are brilliant and I don’t mind working to get somewhere. I get really pis!ed off when all I read is negative crap. My dad is a plumber, runs his own business and came with me to see the place which he rates. I dunmno. Some folk just want summit for nothin.
Stressedout has hit the nail on the head. The sales process is just about numbers – the whole process was described to me as getting into Cambridge i.e. more applicants than places. The directors of recruitment (sales force) just look at the numbers, no soul in the place definitely and not just for the students. Everybody is watched all phone callls AND INTERVIEWS are RECORDED.
Not sure how if this contravenes the Data Protection Act. Referring to working at BTSC as being in the Gestapo would be harsh, but an analogy would be fair. NB That is only what it is like to work there, though there is barely a peep out of the trainees.
well i dont want something for nothing, and wot i dont want, is some tool, with an iQ of 2, thinking he can bullsh:t me into thinking i am lucky to be on there course, like you were will,lol, some of us are beyond be,ing strapped for cash, and are looking for a litle help, and like i said before, they may get you wot you need to be a plumber, but because of the way they, go about getting you there,i would never choose to go with them, i would rather go to some were like viy plumbing, pay less, and do the whole course in 12 weeks, rather than 52 weeks with btsc school of bullsh:t.
now can they offer you a gauranteed job? in today’s economic climate i find that nigh on impossible.
So what do you get for your 12 weeks? You said it you yerself – you get wot you need! Who are viy? What do you get in 12 weeks cos I checked out loads of places with my dad and btsc were the only ones who acrtually got you all the way thorugh with water and gas. I wasn’t bulls!!!ted mate, I’m getting what I want without bleating to strangers about it!!
I have just done Mod 1 at BTSC and am having severe doubts. It seems that will take much longer than the 8-9 months that the salesman tells you. I regret having anything to do with BTSC – once they have your money you are theirs. All the nice sales talk goes out the window and if you have any problems with your course they just treat you like ****.
My advice to anyone thinking of doing a BTSC course is “Buyer Beware”. Can you get enough time off work over the next year to do this course? You will need extra time off to do the exams. What sort of job will you get with a City & Guilds tech 2 cert? Does Britain really need “350 new plumbers a month” indefintely or is BTSC exploiting the gap in the market that existed 3 or 4 years ago? What about the credit crunch/ recession?
MMmmm Stressedout has hit the nail on the head. The sales process is just about numbers – the whole process was described to me as getting into Cambridge i.e. more applicants than places. The directors of recruitment (sales force) just look at the numbers, no soul in the place definitely and not just for the students. Everybody is watched all phone callls AND INTERVIEWS are RECORDED.
Not sure how if this contravenes the Data Protection Act. Referring to working at BTSC as being in the Gestapo would be harsh, but an analogy would be fair. NB That is only what it is like to work there, though there is barely a peep out of the trainees.
I dont think i will be choosing BTSC lol,I have come across a course tho at “www.tradequalified.co.uk”, Not sure though as even though they are registered with companies house AND have a smashing brochure and suprisingly have been around since 1992, I cant for the life of me find any researchable info on them, GOOD or BAD info infact, Has anyone here heard of them, Would really like to no as altough cant find info, It seems there course is benefcial an although i couldnt find any good reviews, was no bad either HELP PLEASE
Just found this website, wish we had seen this before. My husband actually completed his course, he found the trainers great, but it isn’t easy to complete the course within the time frame given, sometimes there wasn’t a course available. He ended up paying more than expected. He finished in June 2008, believing all the b/s about them being able to find him a job. Eventually he had 2 interviews and worked for 8 weeks with a large contracting firm. He needs the practical experience to gain his full City & Guilds (for which he has paid £2,500 upfront to include the assessment). However the work ran out and he has not found anything since. Maybe his age has something to do with it (50), but it is also about having the right contacts. He just needs a bit of practical experience. We’ve been checking out all the job ads and there do not seem to be any “trainee” jobs available. If anyone has any good suggestions please let me know.
I was considering BTSC – Can anyone give the precise terms and conditions of the so called ‘job guarantee’. When I call them all they want to do is get me in for an interview, they won’t tell me anything on the phone!
Any details on the job guarantee would be much appreciated. Thanks
We have been asked to ’sponsor’ my partners son on this start up course. We have been ASSURED (they would not say guarantee)he will get a job placement at the end of the ‘10 weeks’ nor will they say anything about the kind of money he will earn and whether it would be sufficient to repay the £4,500 they want back in 12 months. We really want to help him back onto his feet but we can’t financially be left with this £4,500 debt. As per Chris’s comments before me – can anyone offer any light as BTSC are not giving anything away to help us make this decision
The time it takes to qualify depends on each candidate, however it is highly possible to start your plumbing career after only 10 weeks of training.
The main obstacle is people who do the course are not always free thinking and business minded.
A passive approach will not help you even if you undergo a 6 Year Degree in Plumbing Training!
Thus, an active approach and a little research in business skills will really enable you to make it to the top in a short time, withing the Plumber profession!
Good Luck!
I agree with alot of what has been said above. have just been through the interview proces. It is relatively obvious that the sales men are on commission thats why they will take on as many people as possible.
As far as the 100% guarantee of job placement goes i think the statement is quite missleading. They are offering a placement at a plumbing firm until u pass the 12 areas of assessed work. once you have passed these areas of work you are supposed to go back to BTSC to complete your final bits of training ie gas water reg, un vented hot water etc… then after this there is no guarantee of a job. the 100% is just a work placement, this does not mean they have to find you a job after you have completed everything.
What i find most concerning before i concidered joining BTSC is the demand for plumers in the UK. it seems to me that every1 has been trying to fill the plumbing gap in the counrty since 2000-2003, Is there going to be a market for plumbers in the futeur. it already looks and sounds oversubscribed.Is this the case???
As a plumber will it be easy to find work in 5 years??
If any1 has any intel in to these questions i would be very grateful.
I’m pretty scared now, i forked out £8800 to do the full 13 option course at BTSC manchester, and readin this page is worrying me. I had ideas of being able to earn money after half a dozen modules, is this a fantasy, have i been duped by the salesman I also intend on working for myself on completing the course, is this a fantasy too.
Please help.
Scott, don’t worry! I am half way through my course, and have had none of the issues the people above speak of. I think there is a mixture of reasons people have bad experiences. If you go into this completely blinkered and believing everything the salesman say, then you are setting yourself up for a fall, no doubt about it, if however, you use this site and the comments of people to enlighten you of the possible pit-falls, and look realistically about your future after the course then I see no problem.
The courses at BTSC are excellent, as long as you want to learn. The trainers are great and very interested in teaching you, at lease all the ones I have had any way.
Yes the BTSC office side of it is a money spinning business, but it no doubt gives you everything you need to get the industry recognized qualifications. What you do with them is up to you. Some people seem to want a free ride spoon-fed to them, but, be realistic, you will have to be proactive, and ofcourse, as with any course, you can only learn so much there, it cannot give you the real experience needed to be a “plumber”, and it would not be as simple as finish the course earn lots of money. But there is nothing wrong with the facilities at BTSC, it’s all there, and you just have to make the most of it and be prepared to put in a lot of hardwork, during and after the course, because you will need to rack-up the experience in order to make a real success of things, but isn’t this true with everything? I wish you all the best with the course and in the future, certainly don’t let anyone put you off.
Hi all,
I have seen the BTSC advert in my local paper and looked at their website, considering calling them.
I am again out of work again and have the free time and money to invest in my future now.
I am looking for a fast course, must be quality training and recognised industry certs.
Looked at VIY, The Plumbing Academy & BTSC are there any more City and Guilds approved fast track centres? I am based in Slough, Berkshire.
Any tips from established plumbers as to course training quality.
College course length not of interest to me.
Once qualified can I become a domestic plumber and work alone? or do I have to work with a company for qualification experience for a certain time?
Appreciate knowledge dumps from all.
Hi, I have just been offered a fast track place at a cost of almost 12k, and been told (subject to my passing exams) I will be working in about 16 weeks – can anyone tell me it this is the case. I would also like to know – if anyone can help me – what this qualifies me to do with gas opposed to plumbing i.e. can i fit cookers boilers etc (I know I have to apply to corgi for their registration) but do I have to take any more training, exams etc before I can do gas work.
Hi, does anybody know why there have been no updates on the module revision section? Under module 4 it still says “coming soon…” and has done for nearly a year now. Has the person quit training?
BTW I am at BTSC in Manchester about to take module 3. I am finding it very enjoyable and the trainers are both knowledgeable and friendly. Have not experienced anything bad here. I think that a lot of people are right in saying you need to take what the sales people say during the interviews with a pinch of salt. They are sales people after all.
But having said that if you use your time at the centre fully, ask questions when your not sure about something and take the time to study all the books you should find that once you have finished the course you are in a better position than a lot of newbies to find work. Like other people in other jobs you will have to find the work and this may take some time. BTSC and I’m sure all the other training centres will not do all that work for you. You will get back what you put in.
Hopefully once you have finished you will be able to get a job quite quickly, but there are always going to be people better qualified than you and probably with a lot more experience in this field looking for jobs as well so you will have to impress at your interviews and learn to bullsh** like the sales people and sell yourself to prospective employers.
Welcome to the real world.
Thank you for this blog you have just saved me lots of time and money.
For that i love you.
hello all wannabe plumbers i was invited to a interview at the btsc training facility at chesington and from the start the sales machine was at work i got to say they nearly got me almost it was until i was told the cost near to £10,500 but if i payed this in one go it would be £9,500 thas exclding exam fees exclding cost of training books which i was told will set me back £130.00 and only god knows what else im just glad i found this blog site it was very helpfull otherwise i might have made a decision i would have regretted
anyone thinking about becoming a plumber/gas engineer in 12 months as all these fasttrack companies promise in there sales brochures this is rubbish i would say when you get your plumbing certs get at least 2/3 years experiance in the field before you even think about gas trust me installing a power shower is one thing insalling a condensing water heater is another ball game the regulations involved are mind numbing to say the least you have been warned
i have looked at all the fasttrack companies it is a hugely expensive way to get your plumbing certs i am now thinking doing it the old fashioned way 1 day at a college a week will take 2 years but cost 1100 for the c&g6192 a much longer way but it is the only cost effective way
I know this is a blogg for BSTC However, Look to career change I have completed City & Guilds 6129 Level 2, Level 3 and ACS Gas Training at The Plumbing Academy in Edenbridge Kent and i now have a succesful plumbing company and employe 2 other guys all in 1.5 years from starting my 6129 course! These guys were fantastic and I was not charged a penny in additional costs (they even supplied all the books as part of the course) even when i needed to retake exams! Facilites are great and you get real honest advice from the staff who are all plumbers in there own right, even the career advisors!The guy who runs it is also a CORGI Plumber and has his own plumbing company! From reading the bloggs about BTSC bad news is always posted, good news is not normally and i am sure that they have trained good plumbers. But, from all the people I meet at The Plumbing Academy on courses they are all either employeed or self employeed. This has got to be acid test. Hope this helps anyone looking to enter the trade.
This blog has been very informative both from a positive and a negative side. It has made me think seriously about researching companies before signing up. Having been a salesman for most of my working life, I know, that a salesman will sell you the facts to promote his product. Its then up you the customer to ask the appropriate questions to which the salesman will provide answers. I’m not trying to paint salesmen in a better light, its just that, what is a high priority to one customer is low to another. Ask the question, get an answer, research the question, ask a question….. Especially when you are looking at parting with serious cash. Well done for starting the blog. By the way, is the BTSC the same as The Skills Centre? I am presently thinking of signing up for a course with the later.
I’ve justed finished my course at BTSC adn I have to say that they did what they said they would do. The training was excellent and yes it did take a while to do but they have a fast track route now which some of my mates are on. I got a job from the careers girls in Jan and the heating firm I’m with are a good bunch of guys. Its easy to slag places off and I can understsand why some people are worried but my time with BTSC was really good so I thought people should know.
hi everyone,can you help?i am about to sign up to btsc manchester,do they place you in a job halfway through training?is it payed?and how long is this for?the money you pay out to btsc,is it worth it?please tell me,my head is everywere.
I trained with BTSC Chessington from 2007 and finished with them in December 2008 with basic C&G 2 + 3 + unvented ticket. I’ve just brought VW t4 and started advertising. Got some jobs to do. Kitchens(full refurbishment) bathrooms and couple of smaller jobs.Basically, you need to be pro-active cos once you come back into the real world nobody is going to hold your hand and wipe your arse! To do the full 13 modules then do NVQ 2 + 3 will take longer than what they recommend. The ACS stuff will also take time, just be aware.
The trainers are great and you do learn how it all works etc. Some guys do get jobs (mainly in London) but I wanted to look after myself rather than wait to see if there’s any work going for a few days. You can do your NVQ’s if your self employed anyway and that’s where you want to be. Doing your own thing.
I don’t regret re-training. In fact it has changed and developed me as a person. For anyone thinking about training with BTSC you must do it with your eyes open and for the right reasons, and be prepared to have to look after yourself once they have extracted every last penny.
I warned everyone, who is planing to do course at BTSC honestly don’t enroll, contract and adminstrative staff are very rude, they are not helpful
Bit late for me eh i spent £9,000 at BTSC & am gona go slit me wrist, this is some depressin sh** you lot are writin here but you know what am unemployed i enjoy the course & am passin my exams 1st time round everytime if you got the time to keep your head in books when you not their then you will pass if you a got own home,family,kids or work that you cant bend around the course the DONT DO IT because jobcenter wont pay u nowt & if your on the course & paid for it and ended knackered to be honest you should of thought bowt it before you paid.
stessed out you seriously gota relax my friend or lay off the mushrooms your gona ave a heart attack
^that makes sense^
sort of
Man, I gonna agree wiv notarsed. I’ve been ttrainig with BTSC and its all good. Trainers are top blokes and yeah, its hard going but I’m doing good and happy wiv the c0urse. I borrowed the dosh to do this and am gonna make somehtin of it. My mates are all sittig around signing on – not me man. If you don’t wanna do it then fine but get ya head straight and do summit else.
Move on man. I’ve seen the guys who are working now and making good dosh.
I signed up at Chessington in September. First module taken in October, it was great, thorougly enjojed it. I havent been able to get onto module two yet; they always say that the module is not available when I need it. I work in a school so I get 13 weeks holidays a year. BTSC were made aware of this at my interview, “not a problem” I was told; well it seems to be a real big problem, looks like I could be about 99 years old by the time I finish the course.
just warning u guys, BTSC staff haunt these blogs and submit positive post’ they have us plaged over at UKPLUMMERSFORUM
Hi guys befor I start I just want to say this website has been well informative and an enjoyment to read.
I got a few questions.
Ive just come out the Army, I thought that all my prayers were answered when I went to the BTSC. As this would be make or break for me BUT alot of you guys have a differant opinion.
*I want to do the full BTSC Master Plumber course the guy at the centre said in was around £10000 for the full 12 modules is this correct ?
*How much of guarantee is it that after you complete this course that “they” will find you a good job.
*Does the master plumber qualification, qualify you in all the gas certs it promises you.
I was pretty sure about BSTC but now im so confused . . PLEASE HELP.
ZimmZimma
Hiya Boys,
I have a few queries, if you can help me?
1) How long does the course realistically take? Is it the 3mths they promise you or is it the 12mths that you guys are suggesting?
2) What guarantee is there of full time stable employment (not the 6-8weeks individuals are suggesting) with the large firms the sales men have suggesting.
3) Can somebody please outline the exact qualification (& governing bodies)required to be a ‘master plumber’.
4) Do most people have a full time job while studying at BTSC in the industry? my partner is ZimmaZimma (as above) he has his heart set on the industry after serving with Hm Forces? Would you guys recommend this profession? I am a trainee solicitor and several details during the interview and sales pitch caught my attention and alerted me to research further before making any rash decisions.
5) Noone expects to be spoon fed, i feel assured that the facility is excellent, the trainers seems very good by all the comments left but the time scale e.g. one year and the pushy sales people have made my partner and i look at other facilities.
What are your honest opinions, please give your advise, as they wouldn’t even let me look at the contract which has made me doubt them immediately (small print etc)
What other places would you recommend?
Thanks for your time
PF x x x
very good blog im still on the fence im looking at the plumbing acadmey and have been offered a place at btsc
help very much appreciated
many thanks j
Hi All. My pal wanted to take the btsc course, went for the interview and asked my opinion afterwards. So guess what? I went for interview also, being a qualified Plumber nice and easy to bluff my way through and ask some searching questions of him. It seems a good set up and I actually know one of the trainers luckily he did not see me and I know he is a good tradesman so the standard is probably high and it generally seems like a good course. That said 8k for a course that promises nothing more than a placement is extreme to me. Be under no illusions there is no shortage of Corgi plumbers or any plumbers the standard prices for jobs is falling and work is hard to find as the young lads that work out of the back of their car with no overheads, always seem to be able to do a job that youve priced at £100 for £50, and the east europeans then come along and do it for 7 groats. Think long and hard about the building trade the gravy train is at a different station now. I am multiskilled to a high standard and have no shortage of work unfortunately the prices are lower than ever and the hours and time I have to put in to get the work is starting to affect my outlook. I would take a decent paid factory job with no worries and give my tens of thousands of pounds of tools to the dogs charity this minute if I found one. Anyway best wishes to you budding tradesman no doubt I will be trying to beat at least one of you lads or gals who read this’s estimate one day. Just do some groundwork before you commit yourself. Mark
Are there any others in the game like “Mark” above that can substantiate the view that the market is coming saturated with plumbers??
Thinking of doing the course myself, but put off by the thought of spending 10K and not finding employment
I trained at BTSC Chessington to level 2 only. The training was good if expensive. You will need to have some flexibility as to module timings. You will end the course having gained basic skills, no experience (unless you get it yourself) and be limited as to what you will be able to take on (level 2 is basic stuff). Life after is very average. Thankfully I did not pay for level 3 etc. For every job out there, there are probably 10 plumbers at least who can and will tender. You will have to scratch and compete hard to get the work let alone find it. Work is erratic and getting very thin on the ground. If you anticipate a good wage (self employed), regular work, you will be disappointed.
I forgot to add in my last post, the BTSC exams in my view were often ambiguous, as were the C&G ones. I often had questions that related to advanced study. One of my decisions to put a hold on training with BTSC was having to sit their own exams. Why? it doubled the pressure at the end of each module, it racked up the costs and for nothing. I passed all of their exams and C&G exams first time by the way. If you don’t like exams (and who does) this factor alone should have you seriously weighing up if BTSC is for you.
Hi all
Been to BTSC Chessington today and first impressions, bit like a cattle market with some 15 potential course students. We all got called of, some in ones and some in pairs which i thought was a bit odd. Then got interviewed by what i thought as a salesman straight away. Was then shown round the skill centre which was quiet impressive. Then finally a 20 question aptitude test.
Had a call later that day and was told i got 100% and done very well at the interview and was offered a position on a course.(VERY RARE -YEAH RIGHT) But its the sales spill that is putting me of. I asked for breakdown for prices but was told we don’t really do that, which makes me think this is negotiable. On reading this blog some have paid allot less than others.
I’m defiantly going to be researching this big time in depth, there is a lot of courses out there. Keep the blog going on here
hi all
i have been offered a place at BTSC Chessington, i have told them i will confirm whether or not i would like the place by monday morning, i was wondering whether any of you have trained at BTSC Chessington and give me an insight.
Also do you get the promised job when you finish your training?
thanks
Hey all
Im currently doing my 5th mod at Manchester, not mod 5 though??? or whatever way it is now. Im on fast track and paid just under 10K for the whole caboosh including gas safe. They have so far since ihave started cjanged and compressed the modules so now its 10 i think, and apparently some exams? i would like some confirmation on this if anyone can.
Anyway my experience with BTSC is patchy, i really enjoyed the first 3 modules. Passed all exams (including the BTSC which i will comment on) then went on to my 4th 5th and 6th mod (start 6th on monday). I have found some trainers to be less enthusiastic than others and nothing is standard, they will tell you what they think according to thier own experience, which does not help when you are doing practical or taking exams. last week my trainer went awol a lot, so i asked three different trainers the same question, and got 3 different answers. As for exams the C+G are fine. The BTSC in my opinion are a waste of time and are a lot tricker and again in my opinion are designed to make yo ufail so you have to pay youre £20 to take it again (not just my opinion)
Also i have spoken to a few plumbers and they do not in general agree with the fast track, and wouldnt take anyone on in this climate when they can get time served plumbers and get more value for money. the market is saturated with cheap plumbers and will only get worse for the next few years. BTSC tell you otherwise and put a nice shine on everything, its an excellent facility and 90% of the trainers are excellent. But BTSC exams and the lack of one standard and now they tell us we wont be guarenteed a placement has got me really worried.
not a happy camper
Been at btsc for nearly a year, and am on slow track mod 10 , basically things at the centre do get frustrating regarding exam fees and lack of places for mods, and at the moment the fasttrac mods have put a strain on tutor availabilty so slowing up the whole process. If you can bite ur tongue and ignore a lot of the bullshit you can get a lot out of it. The majoroty of trainers are good with a spattering of excellent ones ( Steve, Dennis,Stuart to name a few) And like a lot of life if you work hard you will learn a lot and if you want the trainers to take an instant dislike to you then cry, bleat and bitch about btsc to them! In their defence they do a good job and are enthusiastic about plumbing.
At the moment I am in dispute with btsc. Cut a long story short, I paid £3595 to start the second part, city and guilds level 3, then just before I was about to start I fell ill and I was unable to attend. They wanted me to pay up £350 to rebook mod 9 and for me to carry on. My illness looks to be quite serious for which I am waiting for scan. I have sent them numerous letters asking for a refund for which they just keep sending me patronising letters telling me to read the contract that I signed over 2 years ago. I also have doctors notes. If I was to explain everything I would be writing for a very long time. The way btsc have treated me is unbelievable, once they have your money, that’s it they do not care. They want me to find a replacement so I can get a proportion of my money back, as if I would do that to anyone!!! The next step is solicitors.
Hi there i was wondering if this course is paid for or you have to pay for it?
Thanks Sam
DONT DO IT!
BTSC Is one big con. Yes the facilities are good. Yes the trainers are good, but thats it.
I have completed my time at BTSC, and have been well and truly stitched up by BTSC and contracts manager Brian Wall. I have had to pay over a grand in hidden extras, and on completion of module 14 was promised a job with a reputable plumbing firm.
What a load of crap.
I was found a job by BTSC and all I did was labouring work for 75.00 a day. I had to leave and get my own job.
I could go on and on explaining why you should not give BTSC your money, but it winds me up thinking about them.
99% of tainees at BTSC will tell you that it is not worth it. I promise you, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR YOUR TRANING, you will be better off. Good Luck.
Hello to all ive just signed up for the full fast track master plumbing course with acs at BTSC chessinton and I just want to say it has cost me a grand total of 10.500pounds including exams and registrations fees. now I had to pay 9.250 pounds up straight away well within a week as this is the price of the course excluding exams and registrations by the way you cant pay for the exams and registration up front you can only pay for them when your doing them through out the course which comes to a cost of around 1.300 pounds but the thing is im not planning to start this course until Jan as that’s when I get made redundant but the sales man told me he was giving me a 1.500pound discount on some scholarship that they were running I was told it was only offered to certain people now I thought this was rubbish and they were just trying to get my money ASAP but wile I was down the training centre I was talking to some of the other trainees and they were payer quiet a bit more money than me for the same course so there seem to be different price for everyone. If your looking to do this course make sure you asked the right questions at the so called interview and make sure you get a copy of the contract and READ it before signing asked for all the cost breakdowns including exams, registrations fees as the way the course is priced up is a little confusing compared to other plumbing training centres. I will update my experience as im doing the course but not starting till Jan so keep your eyes out
Can anyone remember any of the questions on the BTSC Mod 3 exam, im really struggling with it and having to resit it for the 3rd time today. After getting 90% and 79% in my C&G exams, the most i’ve got in my btsc is 50% which doesnt make sense. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
sounds like this is just a big money making scam.Trying to draw honest people who want to get a proper qualification..What a load of sh¥t..i wont be going to my “interview” ROBBING CU#T’S
Hi There,
I’m a teacher and thinking about cganging careers, to Plumbing. It’s my second hobby. I am thinking about joining BTSC. Has anybody actually finished and got a really good job from them? Can they really guarantee you a job? Or is it just sales talk? Anybody?
Hi, I have been for my interview, seen the facility, passed the ‘aptitude’ test and been offered a place.
The guy told me the cost would be around 10k, for the fast track route. It seems like a lot of money and after reading a lot of negative comments here I’m doubting this will be a wise move.
I hear a lot of people saying the trainers are good, and the facility is good, I atchually think this is probably true. There have been a lot of complaints about the office salesmen being ‘pushy’ I found this to be true too.
I feel like they want my money quite badly. I’m looking deep into the various options out there. I would say to everyone hold your horses before signing up anything, for any of these private firms..
A government funded scheme would be useful, which im looking into. Anyway, I’ll be going back to the BTSC in Manchester with backup to find out some important facts and see what the deal is with them.. I’ll post any findings on here to help out..
At the end of the day its a lot of money. I’m an honest person looking for a career change, and my money has been hard earnt over a minimum wage job, 6 days a week.
The sales pitch was quite engrossing and fact filled. Take a step back and use your instincts. If alarm bells ring, which they should be, then theres danger. As far as I know there is a shortage of plumbers in the UK, so I thought the logical move is to enter this market..
I’m exploring angles now and questioning everything, dont part with your cash yet, lets find the right company first!
I’ll start my research I’ll post any decent findings on here…I hope this blog hasn’t become inactive or anything…
Well first of all Ryan, let me respond to you and I hope I’m not 24hrs too late. I would say, you’re right to pause, and even if I was telling you “GO FOR IT!!” – my attitude would be start in January and finish in March, rather than having Christmas in the way – the breaks are the killer when you lose focus on the old format. They’re that hungry for 10 grand, they’ll wait.
I can’t specifically comment on Manchester but if it’s going to be run like Chessington where 95% of all the trainers and staff are great if you’re able to click with them (specially the two Johns, Steve and Dave Clacy), but they don’t run the place, then forget it.
The most important initial in the company’s title is “T” for TRADE, if you are in some kind of trade already and you just want pieces of paper for plumbing and gas you have a head start on the practical side so complete newcomers with little more than DIY experience who’ve never seen a pair of pipe benders, will struggle when the learning curve dives off the cliff as I did. Maybe the change to 1st/2nd/3rd mods will cure this, maybe not. Frankly you get three chances to pass the exams and everyone had to do that at school, so for me personally the tests are like riding a bike even when you have to retake and the practical stuff was my weakness, even now the principles have finally stuck.
I am actually not bothered about some of the fees because I have a job, I can see where they are coming from with retakes, it’s £20 (exam)- to £350 (multiples of £50 per half-day up to a full mod) now, or if you screw up out in the real world, the next guy that fixes it takes your wages if you’re working in a firm – they’re trying to encourage right-first-time plumbing practices, can’t fault them for that. I AM bothered about the “you are trying to weasel out of your contract” standard reply you receive whenever you raise any issue or problem because you were specifically told to appeal in writing!
Also the admin staff are barely polite when taking your money anymore (and that’s the only time they were polite!) and since they make it clear from their attitude on the phone that they don’t want to be there until 7pm when you call in the evening, why bother staying open that late in the week is my view.
So for me, I’m just sad at all the little things that will never change about the place because management believe everything is perfect and they do F-all when you fill out your comments at the end of a mod, they seem to hunt for excuses to fire the trainers when they’re the best thing about the place.
For all the money I’m paying, why are students still saddled with right-facing plans in left facing bays? I had to scan, flip and reprint them myself so they made sense, like their photocopier is made of glass if it’s something to help out the paying students.
Why don’t they sell you ALL the books for ALL of Level 2 if you split it, and make even more of a cut for the centre? Fed up getting every new TCM and seeing a different new book staring back at me each time that I had the cash to buy when I started, but not later since it went on travel, overalls, tools and a week’s worth of packed lunch to stop getting ripped off by the centre’s food machines! I know you can wing it without some of the books, but as usual, you want to read everything they recommend and make up your own mind, and you can’t wait a month or more for the library to order it in!
I have been careful to avoid that much personal stuff about the staff because it’s a combined factory and college environment so you’re not going to click and connect with every trainer and every other student even if you’re all in it together. Again, I’ve had nothing but help and encouragement as a total amateur from people much more naturally qualified and confident than me. There is just about the right degree of your needing to be able to do it yourself after a while – if you wanted to be shown how to do everything without doing it yourself, you could watch Youtube vids or DVDs and not make a career of plumbing.
…apologies for the mistake above, there was no point naming specific good trainers in Chessington, when you would be training in Manchester, but it’s late at night here!
In closure;
As you said, you were considering other options and other types of course, that’s the right thing to do. They will all have fees so that makes it all about 1) How much 2) The format and 3) What you get at the end for your money.
However I would say, take about £100 of that ten grand, and borrow and then buy as many of the books as possible before you go near anyone’s course.
Only after you’re happy that you couldn’t get a good grounding for the basics just by reading and practicing alone, should you consider taking up the BTSC place and even then delay to the new year like I said.
Books are as follows when you pay for them as a share of that ten grand; some might have changed but this is what I received;
-Safe Start Safety Handbook from the HSE, Reference GE707 (small, spiral bound and falls apart in a few weeks compared to properly bound books)
-Plumbing Mechanical Services Books 1 and 2 by G.J. Blower, Pearson Prentice-Hall, 5th Edition of each (b/w sketches)
-Plumbing by R.D. Treloar, Blackwell Publishing, 3rd Edition (black green and white outlined artwork for tables and diagrams, very concise)
-Plumbing Encyclopaedia by R.D. Treloar, Blackwell Publishing (2008, we got the 3rd edition in the bundle, but the 4th ed is out now in 2009 with colour pix not B/W sketches)
-Water Regulations Guide by WRAS, 2nd Edition, ISBN 0-9539708-0-9 – since there is no author name included the ISBN on this one, all the others you can search on Amazon.
Also there are the books recommended from 1st-3rd mods or Mods 1 to 6 in old money:
-Plumbing NVQ and Tech Certifical Level 2, JTL (John Thompson Limited)/Heinmann 2nd ed (1st ed still in libraries) – average £19-25 from Amazon
-Plumbing Revision Guide, also JTL/Heinmann
-Plumbing Heating And Gas Installations, R.D. Treloar 2nd Ed, Wiley/Blackwell (2000 – seems rare now, Amazon marketplace sellers only)
…so read all those, and see whether you want to go ahead – let your mates tell you some more about their course, they won’t want to see a mate go through it if it’s no good. All I know is, I’ll seriously considering going somewhere else for my level 3 because BTSC doesn’t care about you trying to keep a job and do the course at the same time to the quoted timescales – unless that job is in the trade already.
I responded to an advert in my local paper for ‘trainee plumbers required’and as i have 4 years experience as a plumber and have my C&G level 1+2 thought i may be an attractive candidate? It soon became clear after talking to Fraser Murphy the ‘recruitment director’that he was only interested in the money and selling me the course. He would’nt give any specific timescales or prices and was very vague about any details. When I asked any questions his response was to try and book me in for an interview in Manchester, where he could then answer them?(a 3 hour drive away!). When I said to ‘hold fire’ he accused me of not having the desire to complete the course? It strikes me little Fraser is a salesman who has very little knowledge of plumbing or the qualifications involved and is only interested in getting people through the door of BTSC. He did’nt like having to answer questions and wanted me to do as he said. He kept on trying to tell me about the upcoming shortage of plumbers, and the large average earnings available! Tell me something I don’t know! These little pricks are only interested in your money, if you want to become a qualified plumber go to a college where there are no hidden agenda’s. Good Luck all!
Thx gays for everything… i thinking about btsc long time and i knowed something is wrong!!! but after them bull…t i was blind !!! many things what was writing here is f..king true !!
I’ve just had my interview at BTSC Chessington. I started out quite excited, as I am a very practical hands-on engineer with considerable plumbing experience – I was confident I could easily pass any selection criteria they had. How naive was I !!!
Well that initial excitement soon wore off. (1) the sales director (they always seem to be Sales Directors, don’t they ?) rambled on for an unbelievably long time (>2 hours) and it was actually difficult to get a word in edge-ways. (2) the aptitude test was ridiculously easy.
What really got me thinking were the crude/blunt sales tactics that wouldn’t have seemed out of place coming from a dodgy double-glazing salesman back in the eighties. Firstly they hold back the all-important fees info until the last few seconds of the ‘interview’, likely to be a bit of a shock to most people methinks.
Secondly, having passed the selection process a bizzare time pressure kicked in from nowhere – along the lines of ‘we can offer you a place but will only be able to keep the place open until the end of the week’ kind of thing. Complete Boll%#ks.
That really pissed me off. Had I not just just sat through one of the longest ‘interviews’ of my life where they rambled on for hours about (amongst other things) new modules starting every few weeks for the forseeable future ? And yet all of a sudden now I had to start almost immediately. I’d never even heard of the place a few days ago, now I had to find a massive wadge of cash and sign a contract. F&*k the hell right off!!!
Even if they are legitimate, and I have to be fair here, I think they are. They do physically exist, they have been around a while, they do have training centres and staff, they are C&G certified etc etc. But those sales tactics ? What is that all about. Absolutely no way man.
I can see why they need to talk to me before offering me anything – they claim 100% placement and need to protect that claim. But having met me what the hell difference does it make to anybody if I sign that day, next week, next month or next year ? The whole pressure-selling thing stinks and right or wrong should make anyone suspicious.
And another thing. To buy time I said I had to talk to a family member about borrowing the money. In the meantime I was to call BTSC anytime with queries/questions etc. I did just that on several occasions over the following week and the guy always answered the phone first ring and seemed to have all the time in the world for me. Could be a coincidence, but something tells me that the Sales Director (for it was he) would be one hell of a lot more difficult to get hold of once I’d parted with my cash. Don’t forget this is the same guy that told me they were practically fighting applicants off, the demand was so great. Hmmmm.
To summarise, buyer beware. There are some real scams out there (distance learn plumbing by DVD anyone? – give me strength!). In this context BTSC seem to me to be one of the good guys, in that it appears that they will deliver exactly what they promise. But I just get that uneasy feeling about the whole set up, so I’m out. I wouldn’t go back there if they paid me.
Twelve months and 10 grand is a massive investment by any standards. Spend a few days doing your research.
I did my research and it took me months to trawl through all the bulls**t from various companies.
Interview “my arse”…. Distance learning you are having a laugh..
I am not going to name the company I trained with but it cost me half the price of BTSC no pushy sales, just upfront talking and they listened to what I WANTED.
I am about to take my gas quals in January and my work placement (they provided is great).
DO YOUR RESEARCH THOROUGHLY…. leave your details with all of them. Make your own mind up….if you manage to get a call from a company based in Cleckheaton you’ve hit the right one.
They have been trading well longer than the cowboys…and they get all the experienced gas fitters who have been qualified for years coming back to renew their gas ticket.
They train new entrants and also do commercial gas.
Good luck everyone.
Danny
Work in Education?
Work 190+5 days(T.T.O)
Forget it, it won’t happen, you won’t get on any modules this side of hell freezing over.
Trust Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!