Don't you just love it when a plan comes together

[lynda66]

says some very norty words and gives bob the biggest hug she can muster xxxx

[smallblueplanet]

Why do you need an NVQ in France? Don't they (the French) have qualifications in French plumbing you can do?

[lynda66]

ok can you be naughty ...... if you tell em you now live in england, and sign on the dole ... you should be able to do it for nowt .... tis anything past a levels you need to pay for ... although that doesn't help with said mortgage

[Snadger]

I need to go away somewhere and earn the cash to pay for said training course.
Was offered the job in Algeria which would have been perfect.
But sadly, not to be.

Aaaaaaaah. Case of wrong end of stick..appologies..........passes coat back to Zaz!

[Glutton4...]

Can't the person/organisation in Algeria help sort the Visa for you?

Or am I missing sommat?


((((hugs)))) boble

[bobleponge]

Why do you need an NVQ in France? Don't they (the French) have qualifications in French plumbing you can do?

They do indeed have quals over here Manda, however firstly my French quite simply isnt good enough to do a course in the subject, secondly the shortest one over here is a year, whereas a full time NVQ course in the UK can be done in as little as 7 weeks, and thirdly the cost difference is staggering.

The thought may be that if my French isnt good enough to do a course, how am I going to be able to do the job, but my conversational French is adequate, so that even if I didnt know the actual word for an object when I was working, I could describe it and get my point across. If I was on a course, I simply couldnt be stopping the tutor every time I didnt understand a technical word, as it would be too disruptive for everyone else.

[zazen999]

NVQ L2s are funded if you are employed and don't declare that you have an NVQ L2 or above already. In some areas, you can also be self-employed.

The NVQ can indeed be done in 7 weeks; but you won't get the qual until 10 weeks has passed [the 10 week rule].....but it is still quicker than France by the looks of it.

Also, an NVQ must be assessed on site; so you will need to have some site experience to get the qualification.

Usually, you would get the NVQ in 10 weeks only if you have the evidence to back it up - which is why I asked about the provider. Some are offering quick win NVQs and they aren't worth the paper they are written on - mainly they tie you into a credit agreement and the assessor/training never shows and you never get the qual but you end up paying for 2 years for the training you'll never get.

Also, you'd need to have some work in the UK as the chances of getting an assessor to come to France to observe - it wouldn't be worth their while as they are usually paid by outputs and not hours.

Let me know who that provider is.....I would say don't sign anything yet but thanks to Algeria - you won't be will you?

[smallblueplanet]

Does it have to be an NVQ (to what level?) what are the French looking for?

Would a C&G do as well?

City & Guilds Unit Accreditation Plumbing Course

Then this course

http://www.ableskills.co.uk/plumbing-course-6129.htm

which it says you can do on w/e's?

[zazen999]

Sorry Manda - these are the sorts of 'quick wins' providers I am talking about. They offer nothing more than a glimpse at plumbing. Any provider that says In order for your plumbing course to run swiftly and smoothly, you should ensure that your chosen training centre has qualified Instructors, Assessors and Internal Verifiers. shouldn't be touched with a bargepole - as if there are ANY problems they have a get-out clause. How are any potential candidates qualified to make that decision? AARRGGHH. I've had to deal with SO may of these places over the years.


[ConstructionSkills don't approve centres - even though they have a badge that doesn't prove anything].

[bobleponge]

I know that the NVQ is accepted in France, as I have a mate who has done it, and he is now working as an autoentrepreneur.
The NVQ courses offer more in depth training than the C+G ones, and having just read through that link there are a few obvious things I can see that they dont cover that I would need to have.

The course that I looked at (there are several) was a 7 week one, meaning I left at level 1 qualified, with a certificate, and needed onsite assessment for 5 tasks to be signed off as level 2. This could be done anywhere in the UK (which would obviously mean coming back, finding employment and tying in the visit with an NVQ assessor) but I know that the level 1 pass, awaiting being signed off for 5 tasks to get me level 2 is adequate to be an employable plumber in France.

[bobleponge]

Zaz, just had a look, the company is called PPL Training, based in York. What does your knowledgable eye say on this?

[smallblueplanet]

Sorry Manda - these are the sorts of 'quick wins' providers I am talking about. They offer nothing more than a glimpse at plumbing...

But its not like Boble doesn't know anything about plumbing is it? I assumed he was looking to 'qualify' and expand on his current knowledge as quickly as possible...

[smallblueplanet]

Well para here says:

"In order to be classed as a QUALIFIED plumber to Level 2, you must have achieved a NVQ Level 2 in Plumbing. The NVQ is a combination of two qualifications, the City & Guilds 6129 Technical certificate in Plumbing (done at PPL) and the City & Guilds 6089 Plumbing NVQ (done onsite). After you have gained your NVQ 2 in Plumbing you can move onto NVQ 3 in Plumbing or the Bpec Gas Foundation in order to achieve CORGI Gas registration..."

http://www.ppltraining.co.uk/trainin...-courses-1.htm

Which is what the above C&G was on about...

Sorry bob I assumed you were looking for a 'quick fix'.

[bobleponge]

I am indeed looking to get NVQ qualified as quickly as possible Manda. The second link is not dissimilar to the course I looked at, although the one I had in mind was 7 weeks, not the 8 weeks that the one you posted is.The first one though, The C+G accreditation thingy wouldnt qualify me to work in France.

[zazen999]

Zaz, just had a look, the company is called PPL Training, based in York. What does your knowledgable eye say on this?

First thing I look at is the finance, and a genuine provider will not try and tie you into a finance agreement [fail].

Second thing, I look at the funding, if they are pushing government funding rather than private funding then they are usually geared up towards supporting the person [fail]

Third thing, if they are a genuine government funded work based learning provider - then they will be listed on Ofsted [fail]

So, from my eye [without calling any chums in Yorks], they are trying to look like a government funded provider but their information only hints at this. You have to call to get info about funding. They have no links to LSC, or Train to Gain.

There must be a provider that can offer you a better package to suit.......I haven't even had a chance to look into anyone posting problems with them or their complaint procedure...but a call to the awarding body might be in order to find out their achievement ratios [which if they are genuine would be readily available - which is why the Ofsted report is important].

Not that I am knocking private providers - but when finance packages are so heavily pushed, they can easily drop you and leave you in the lurch........and you still have to pay. Althought you might not USE finance; it is a very bad sign with a provider if they even use them....if you see what I mean.